Tuesday Newsletter – Jan. 20, 2009
January 20, 2009
Volume 29, Issue 3
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
Economic Summit Recommendations Sent to President Obama
NPS Centennial Challenge Projects for 2009 Announced
Bylaw Vote Ending This Friday
Help Make History at the 2009 Grassroots Symposium
Venue for Savannah Road Show Has Changed
We’ve Got a Lot of Friends … Join NTA’s Social Circle
Got a Story Idea for Courier’s AfterWords Section?
Register for Tourism Cares for Gettysburg
Looking for Some Stage Time at Spring Meet?
Special Offer for New May Courier Advertisers
NTA Job Center: The Grand Canyon Railroad
Economic Summit Recommendations Sent to President Obama
As President Barack Obama and his team continue to work on an economic stimulus package, leaders of travel and tourism organizations have reached out to the new administration with recommendations on how travel can contribute by quickly providing new jobs, new income and new tax revenues. The proposals were sent to Obama’s Transition Team last week as a follow up to the December Economic Summit of the Travel and Tourism Sector Leaders, which brought together organizational leaders from 37 entities that represent more than 82,000 businesses and members.
The solutions established by these leaders pertain to the next 6-12 months and focus on seven areas. Summit participants felt that the following three items should be part of the new administration’s current stimulus plan:
- Federal grants for travel and tourism development at the regional, state and local levels
- The Travel Promotion Act of 2008 (H.R. 3232, S. 1661)
- Funding for federal lands
The other four items, which also can stimulate the economy, are additional recommendations for short-term administration action:
- Establishing an Executive Office of Travel and Tourism
- Creating more user-friendly visa regulations and procedures for U.S. entry/exit systems
- Passing highway reauthorization, including tourism development projects
- Re-examining travel bans
The results of the meeting demonstrated that leaders of many different parts of the travel community are committed to developing solutions to help stimulate growth for the U.S. economy, as well as for their members and travel and tourism overall. To view the full document that was passed along to President Obama, click here.
NPS Centennial Challenge Projects for 2009 Announced
As the United States moves toward the 100th anniversary of its National Park Service in 2016, the Centennial Challenge program is helping fund improvements at certain NPS sites leading up to the celebration. This year marks the second year of the initiative, through which the Park Service will match federal funds with contributions from park partners to prepare national parks for another century of conservation, preservation and enjoyment.
Last week, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne and NPS Director Mary A. Bomar, announced the NPS sites that will receive $27 million through the Centennial Challenge. The U.S. federal government will contribute $10.5 million, while $16.5 million is coming from philanthropic giving. The following list of the 10 sites includes a diverse set of renovation and preservation efforts and range from replacing a tram system at the St. Louis Arch to restoring rare and endangered plant species at Hawaii’s Haleakala National Park.
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Haleakala National Park (Hawaii)
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Independence National Historical Park (Pennsylvania)
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Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (Indiana)
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Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (Missouri)
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Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
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National Capital Parks (Washington, D.C.)
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Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (California)
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Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (Alaska)
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Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
For details on the 2009 Centennial Challenge projects, click here.
The voting period for the proposed amendment to the NTA bylaws will end this Friday, Jan. 23. Ballots were mailed or e-mailed to all NTA tour operator member companies in mid-December on the proposal from the association’s Member Growth Committee to allow nonprofit organizations to share one tour supplier membership.
The current NTA bylaws prohibit separate legal entities from sharing a membership, but the recommendation would make it possible for arts organizations, such as symphonies, operas, ballets, museums and dance companies, to combine funding and join as a shared entity. In addition to the vote on this issue, minor grammatical and language cleanup of the bylaws also is being conducted.
Help Make History at the 2009 Grassroots Symposium
The inauguration of the 44th president today marks a truly momentous time in U.S. history. You have the chance to be one of the first to call on members of the 111th Congress this February and make the 2009 Grassroots Symposium a historic event for travel and tourism, too.
With legislation relevant to tourism promotion and development likely to be on the horizon and a new administration looking for solutions to the economic woes facing us all, this year’s Symposium is perfectly positioned to get the voice of travel and tourism heard. We need each of you there, working with us, to make it happen.
As a Symposium participant, you also will get the in-person training that you need to not only be successful in D.C. with your Hill visits, but also the tools to take back home and make effective changes within your own state or congressional district. Register at NTAonline.com or e-mail NTA Government Relations Manager Christy Cleveland to take part in this year’s Grassroots Symposium.
You also can be a part of this historic event by becoming a sponsor. Contact NTA Vice President of Sales Karla DiNardo regarding remaining sponsorship opportunities and benefits or click here for additional information. Sponsorships are sold on a first-come, first-served basis so contact NTA today.
Venue for Savannah Road Show Has Changed
The upcoming NTA Road Show, set for Feb. 4 in Savannah, Georgia, has been moved to a new location thanks to a gracious invitation from The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum to host the event. The Road Show will begin with a program at 4:30 p.m., followed by a reception at 5:30, and will be held at the museum, which is located at 175 Bourne Avenue in Pooler, Georgia.
NTA Road Shows bring together members and prospective members to share ideas, to learn more about NTA programs and events and to ask questions of their association peers and leaders. If you have any questions regarding the Savannah Road Show, or want to reserve your spot, contact NTA Director of Membership Development Christina Horsley by Jan. 30.
We’ve Got a Lot of Friends … Join NTA’s Social Circle
More and more people are becoming a part of the NTA group on Facebook. This is a place where NTA members can connect, share fun updates, photos and more. Scott Hartcorn of Shilo Inns Suites Hotels recently posted a comment about NTA’s new Web site. Go to Facebook.com to see his comment, and while you are there, be sure to add your own thoughts.
NTA also is on LinkedIn, which is different from Facebook in that it focuses more on business connections, rather than casual ones. This professional networking site brings together business people from around the world to find new opportunities and potential partners. Two people have already posted questions on the NTA LinkedIn page. One is related to the King Tut touring exhibit and one is regarding research for hotels, travel agents and tour operators.
Log on to both of these sites to get connected with your NTA colleagues. And don’t forget about the NTA Member Forums, which is another place you can give the association your feedback and see what other members have to say.
Got a Story Idea for Courier’s AfterWords Section?
Do you have a special off-the-beaten-track destination or a memorable moment from the road that you’d like to share with other NTA members? If so, let Courier Editor in Chief Penny Whitman know, and you could contribute the AfterWords page in an upcoming issue of NTA’s monthly magazine.
AfterWords is the end-page essay that explores and shares member experiences from the road. Read reflections from Phil Sheldon on the changing Chinese travel market, which appear on page 80 of the January Courier, by clicking here.
To suggest an idea for a future AfterWords, e-mail penny.whitman@imgworld.com.
Register for Tourism Cares for Gettysburg
Tourism Cares is gearing up for its 2009 clean-up project, which will bring together industry professionals in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, from April 16 to 18.
Volunteers who take part in the 7th edition of the Tourism Cares for America project will help with tasks such as painting, replacing fencing, restoring period structures, removing modern structures, cutting trees and clearing brush at the George Spangler Farm near the battlefield, which is one of the most significant sites in U.S. military history.
Sitting on 80 acres in rural Pennsylvania, the farm was used as a field hospital for thousands of wounded Union and Confederate soldiers during the battle. It also was the sight of the death of Confederate Gen. Lewis Armistead, who led the climactic event of the three-day battle, Pickett’s Charge. Today, the property is one of the last field hospitals kept intact as it was in 1863.
Click here for more information on this year’s event or to register.
Looking for Some Stage Time at Spring Meet?
NTA’s Tour Operator Spring Meet, set for June 4-6 in Monterey, California, will be here before you know it. Make plans now to be one of the Spring Meet sponsors, which will allow you to mingle with key decision-makers at this tour operator exclusive event.
By sponsoring a lunch or a dinner you gain the bonus of being able to address all attending tour operators from the stage. All of the tour operators’ attention will be on you, so you can pass along valuable information about your product, service or destination.
Sponsorships are limited and sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact NTA Vice President of Sales Karla DiNardo at 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4232 for additional information. To see a list of available sponsorships and benefits, click here.
Special Offer for New May Courier Advertisers
The May 2009 edition of Courier, which includes the 2009 Tour Operator Spring Meet preview, is another way you can get your company or destination in front of tour operators. Advertisers will receive extra visibility, since the issue will be distributed at the Spring Meet in Monterey, California.
Another bonus is available to the next five people who reserve space in the May issue, as they will receive a complimentary side panel banner ad in one entire month’s issues of NTA’s Tuesday newsletter. This offer has a value of $925 and is not valid on previously booked insertions.
In addition to containing all the information on the Spring Meet, the May Courier includes features stories on beach destinations and wine and culinary tours along with destination articles on Asia, the Canyonlands region (Colorado, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Sedona, Arizona, and Utah), Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon.
To reach your account executive for more information, call 800.682.8886, ext. 4241 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4241.
NTA Job Center: The Grand Canyon Railroad
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 resumé and a completed Xanterra Parks & Resorts application which can be found at www.thetrain.com.