Tuesday Newsletter – Feb. 3, 2009
February 3, 2009
Volume 29, Issue 5
Tuesday’s title sponsor is ITS Design & Printing
Interested in advertising in Tuesday? E-mail Kelley Burchell at kelley.burchell@NTAstaff.com.
TODAY’S ARTICLES
Make Plans to be in Monterey for the 2009 Spring Meet
Canadian Government to Provide $800 Million for Tourism
NTA Welcomes New Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus Co-Chair
Ways to Handle Winter Travel and Tourism
First Data is NTA Corporate Partner for Credit Card Processing
Be Part of NTA Pavilion at the China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market
China Market Overview Webinar Coming Up Feb. 18
Tips on Retaining and Engaging Older Workers
Announcing Great Additions to the 2009 Courier Editorial Calendar
Tourism Cares IS Making a Difference
Address NTA Tour Operators through Spring Meet Sponsorship
NTA Job Center: The Grand Canyon Railway and The Las Cruces CVB
Make Plans to be in Monterey for the 2009 Spring Meet
NTA is taking you to breathtaking Monterey, California, for the 2009 Tour Operator Spring Meet. Operators and receptive operators won’t want to miss the partnering, education and product development options that are on tap for this incredible event. During these uncertain economic times, coming together with fellow operators for collaboration and discussion is a valuable investment.
Mark your calendars today to join NTA in Monterey for the Spring Meet, June 4-6. Registration will open Feb. 24, and if you register by the early-bird deadline of May 1, you will receive nearly 30 percent off the regular registration fee. NTA looks forward to seeing you in Monterey for the only industry event designed specifically for the needs of tour operators.
Suppliers and DMOs who would like to be in Monterey to promote their product or destination to this exclusive group of tour operators should contact NTA Vice President of Sales and Sponsorship Karla DiNardo. To see a list of the available sponsorships, click here.
Canadian Government to Provide $800 Million for Tourism
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada announced last week that the Canadian government had approved several budget items aimed at furthering Canada’s travel and tourism industry. These initiatives will result in $800 million in spending for the development and promotion of tourism across Canada. Highlights of the package include:
- $40 million over two years to the Canadian Tourism Commission ($20 million for domestic marketing and $20 million for emerging markets)
- $100 million for marquee festivals and events over two years
- $150 million for Canada’s national parks system over two years ($75 million for visitor facilities and $75 million for national historic sites)
- $25 million to create new hiking trails across the country
- $407 million for improvements to passenger rail service in the Montreal to Toronto corridor operated by VIA Rail
NTA applauds these efforts and expressed its support in letters to TIAC President and CEO Randy Williams and the Hon. Diane Ablonczy, Secretary of State for Small Business and Tourism. In the letter to TIAC, NTA Chairman and CEO Michele Michalewicz, CTP, noted that "TIAC has always been a strong voice for Canadian and North American tourism promotion and development, and your successful advocacy for these critical funds is a credit to you and your organization."
Michalewicz also acknowledged Ablonczy’s critical role in the achievement, stating that "We look forward to working with you on all binational tourism issues to foster a positive business climate for our North American members."
NTA Welcomes New Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus Co-Chair
NTA applauds the appointment of Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., as co-chair of the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus. Blunt and Sam Farr, D-Calif., will serve as co-chairs for the 111th Congress, which began meeting in January. In its more than 30 years of existence, the caucus has continually recognized the economic importance of travel and tourism and the need for an advocacy organization to support this sector of he national economy in Congress.
"NTA has a long history with the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus, and we welcome Rep. Blunt to his leadership position," said NTA Chairman and CEO Michele Michalewicz, CTP. "The NTA Advocacy Team looks forward to working with Chairman Blunt and Chairman Farr to develop and enhance the travel and tourism economy. Blunt comes from a strong tourism background, and we hope he will serve the industry well as we face many new challenges."
NTA has already reached out to Blunt by sending him a copy of the economic stimulus recommendations developed by participants of the Dec. 16 Economic Summit of the Travel and Tourism Sector.
Also, NTA has a long record with the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus. NTA Legislative Counsel Jim Santini was a founder and the first secretary/treasurer of the caucus in the House of Representatives in 1978 and served from 1979-82. During his chairmanship, the caucus became the largest Democrat/Republican caucus organization in the House of Representatives with more than 280 members.
Ways to Handle Winter Travel and Tourism
(NOTE: The following article is an excerpt from Tourism & More’s monthly newsletter, "Tourism Tidbits." The company’s founder and president, Dr. Peter Tarlow, led two sessions on the economy at the 2008 NTA Convention and will be a featured presenter at the 2009 Tour Operator Spring Meet. He also has a series of three columns that will appear in the February, March and April issues of NTA’s Courier magazine.
Much of the world lives or travels to climates that are especially inhospitable during the winter months. Due to the fact that many airlines use a spoke and hub flight system of travel, winter travel can be especially precarious. Not only can a single snow storm temporarily knock out an air transportation system but the storm’s impact can be felt thousands of miles away due to air traffic delays, the inability to move supplies or the fact that travelers may be forced to stay in a location (even a warm one) for much longer than expected.
Smart travel and tourism professionals develop a winter travel plan no matter where they may be located or what their own local weather conditions may be. Bad weather winter planning then is as important in warm climates (where travelers may not be able to return home) as it is in colder climates where the winters may be harsh. Remember that time or loss of time especially during the winter months leads to frustrated travelers and visitors and often results not only in higher levels of stress but even may result in physical violence.
To help you develop a winter risk plan, Tourism & More offers the following basic principles:
- When preparing for a weather emergency, think in terms of both safety and security.
- Do a full risk assessment.
- Make a list of every peril to which your side of the tourism industry is exposed and then rank these perils.
- When doing risk-evaluations determine not only the recovery strategies but also your avoidance strategies.
If you live in a cold climate:
- Start planning for winter before it occurs.
- Review your plans with a number of professionals.
- Winter is the time to make sure that nothing goes wrong on your premises.
- What plans do you have during the storm?
- Make sure that you include local law enforcement in your planning.
- Make sure to flaunt your planning.
To see the full article, which includes detailed information on each bullet point, click here.
First Data is NTA Corporate Partner for Credit Card Processing
NTA’s former credit card processor, Chase Paymentech, is now First Data. The association’s former agreement was a joint venture between the two companies, which are now functioning as two separate business entities and NTA’s partnership will resume with First Data.
As an official NTA Corporate Partner, First Data will provide discounted credit card processing services to NTA members located within the United States. Members can expect competitive processing rates through this member benefit program.
For detailed information on the First Data partnership, click here. To find out more about NTA’s Corporate Partner program, click here.
Be Part of NTA Pavilion at the China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market
Looking for an affordable venue for attracting outbound travelers from China? For the first time, NTA will have a pavilion at the China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market, which will take place April 22-24 in Beijing.
Conveniently located near China’s outbound tour operators, NTA’s pavilion will get you exposure to 400 hosted Chinese buyers. Space is limited and a 4 square meter booth is $2,500.
For more information, contact NTA’s Director of Industry and Government Relations Matt Grayson at 800.682.8886, ext. 4250 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4250.
China Market Overview Webinar Coming Up Feb. 18
A Webinar for tour operators who are on the NTA China Inbound Program approved list and others interested in the China market will be held Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 5 p.m. Pacific time (8 p.m. ET). The session, which is hosted by the U.S. Commercial Service, will include a market briefing, an update on the China Inbound Program and the role NTA plays, information on Chinese traveler preferences, visa information and a Q&A session at the end.
To register for the session, click here. The cost to participate is $50 and after you have paid, you will receive an e-mail notification with the Webinar access codes. If you need further information, please contact either Tony Michalski at 909.466.4137 or Kellie Holloway at 503.326.3002, or click here.
Tips on Retaining and Engaging Older Workers
(NOTE: The following article is the second of a two-part series on engaging employees. This information is taken from "The Herman Trend Alert," by Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurist, 800.227.3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com/. The "Herman Trend Alert" is a trademark of The Herman Group of Companies, Inc.)
Employers are increasingly turning to older and previously retired workers for hard-to-fill positions for two reasons. First, they will do practically anything to reduce costs and second, employers, like most of us, are uncertain of the near-term future. We are already seeing an uptick in the number of special projects given to these seasoned employees. Plus, the good news about hiring these folks is that onboarding and offboarding costs are nominal, and in many cases, benefits are not an issue either.
According to Art Koff of Retired Brains.com, a resource web site for seniors, "At least one in four older Americans are either postponing their retirement or seeking to return to the workforce, while four in 10 employers have designed programs to encourage late-career workers to stay past their traditional retirement age."
Another interesting development is that valuable, long-term employees have begun to leave for other jobs. These experienced, seasoned professionals in a wide variety of industries take their priceless corporate memories with them. Not only are their employers unprepared to lose these precious human resources, but the workers in many cases are irreplaceable — at any cost. The accounting and healthcare industries are particularly vulnerable.
As futurists, we have long touted the value of older workers, with their experience, stability and wisdom. We have also said numerous times that employers must be more flexible with their older workers. Allowing greater flexibility in scheduling and work location will give employers a competitive edge in retaining these senior workers. Wise employers will conduct stay interviews to prevent untimely losses of these valuable human assets.
Announcing Great Additions to the 2009 Courier Editorial Calendar
Due to the increasing popularity of certain destinations, products and services within the travel industry, and the fact that tour operators consistently find ways to offer new products to their customers, more feature stories have been added and some have been renamed for upcoming issues of NTA’s Courier magazine.
Feature stories on three topics, Ski Resorts and Destinations, Spa and Wellness Travel, and Faith-based Travel are new to the 2009 Courier Editorial Calendar. A trip planner article focusing solely on Chicago was added, while British Columbia will be covered in the Pacific Northwest trip planner and Turkey will be part of the Greece trip planner. Finally, the titles of the following two stories have been changed to better reflect the content — Eastern Europe is now called the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia, and the Dining Attractions story was switched to Restaurants.
These new features will allow tour operators to gain new and up-to-date information, while also focusing on more destinations and niche markets. By making these updates, it also has created additional advertising opportunities for tour suppliers and DMOs and will provide operators with great information. Click here to view the updated Editorial Calendar.
NTA is offering an advertising special for these new articles — book any of the new features by Feb. 13 and take 10 percent off your insertion. Call 800.682.8886, ext. 4241 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4241 or e-mail advertising@NTAstaff.com for further information on this deal.
Tourism Cares IS Making a Difference
Last April, more than 300 industry volunteers gathered together in Louis Armstrong Park for the Tourism Cares for New Orleans event. Volunteers spruced up fences, cleaned up the grounds, cleared the walkways and painted the lamp posts. What the Tourism Cares volunteers did there kicked off the on-going restoration of Louis Armstrong Park. The city of New Orleans and the federal government have taken advantage of the start the event gave them and now continue the work in Louis Armstrong Park.
At this very moment, the electricity in the park has been restored, the magnificent Armstrong arch at the entrance and lamp posts that hadn’t been lit since Hurricane Katrina have been completely restored and now light up the night. The lagoons have been drained, cleaned and refilled and the walkways volunteers worked on have been repaved. And it’s all been done because the tourism industry saw the need, took the lead and made it happen.
This year Tourism Cares will bring volunteers to Gettysburg to restore historic George Spangler Farm on the Gettysburg battlefield to make a difference once again. Registration is now open, and you can click here to sign up.
Address NTA Tour Operators through Spring Meet Sponsorship
NTA’s 2009 Tour Operator Spring Meet, coming up June 4-6 in Monterey, California, is the ultimate opportunity for some of the industry’s leading tour operators to gather for three days of quality business, worthwhile education and of course, fun.
Sponsoring tour suppliers and DMOs can attend the event, where they will have access to this prime group of decision-makers, so consider a sponsorship today. For just $3,000, you can gain access to this audience through sponsoring a seminar. You’ll receive complimentary event registration, have time to present your product to seminar attendees and enjoy sponsor promotions before, during and after Spring Meet, as well as receiving an electronic list of attending tour operators.
Sponsorships are limited and sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact NTA Vice President of Sales Karla DiNardo or phone at 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4232 for additional information or click here to see a list of available sponsorships and benefits.
The Grand Canyon Railway: Midwest Regional Sales & Marketing Manager
The Grand Canyon Railway, located in Williams, Arizona, is accepting applications for a full-time position of Midwest Regional Sales & Marketing Manager headquartered in the Midwest. The property includes the Railway, a 298-room hotel, a restaurant and offers tours and accommodations inside Grand Canyon National Park.
The successful candidate will be responsible for actively generating sales revenue according to plan targets; managing customer and professional relationships; and servicing accounts prospective customers in the assigned sales territory on behalf of the Grand Canyon Railway. This is a home-based position requires traveling 30-40 percent of the time.
A detailed job description can be found at www.hcareers.com/ (search for Northern AZ, hotel/resort, management). Applicants need to submit a résumé and a completed Xanterra Parks & Resorts application which can be found at www.thetrain.com.
_____ _____
Las Cruces CVB: Tourism Sales Manager
Person will promote Las Cruces as a visitor destination to individuals and tour groups in order to generate Lodger’s Tax and Gross Receipts Tax to the community. The equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Marketing, Hospitality and Tourism is preferred, or related field plus three (3) years of sales experience in a CVB, hotel, or directly-related field. A combination of education, experience and training may be applied. Compensation will be $19.18 to $28.77 per hour ($39,888.93 to $59,833.39 annually). For complete job description and to apply, click here. Only applications submitted online can be accepted.
Additional questions should be directed to:
Anna Maya, Las Cruces CVB
211 N. Water Street
Las Cruces, NM 88001
575.541.2444 (phone)
575.541.2167 (alt. phone)
575.541.2164 (fax)
annam@las-cruces.org
http://www.lascrucescvb.org