Tuesday Newsletter – Jan. 26, 2010
January 26, 2010
Volume 30, Issue 4
Tuesday’s title sponsor is Ripley’s New York
Interested in advertising in Tuesday? E-mail Kelley Burchell at kelley.burchell@NTAstaff.com.
TODAY’S ARTICLES
MONTAGE Memo #6: Save/Ahorrar
NTA Renewals are Due January 31
Update on ESTA Guidelines
Make Powerful Connections at the U.S.-Cuba Travel Summit, March 24-26
Slovakia/Hungary PDT Registration Deadline Feb. 15
Dominican Republic Helping Haiti/Open for Travel
A Word of Thanks From a Tourism Cares Scholarship Recipient
What’s New in Travel News
Meet IGLTA President and CEO John Tanzella in February Courier
"Welcome to the United States" Webinar Series Online
NTA wants to make it easy for you to travel to Seville. Complimentary arrival and departure shuttle service will be available for all attendees between the Seville airport (SVQ) or train stations and the Hotel Al-Andulus Palace. If you have already registered for MONTAGE, please fill out this form. If you have not yet registered, register now and the link will be available to you on your registration form. Let us know your arrival/departure times to recieve ground transportation provided and sponsored by the Tourism Office of Seville.
To save even more time and money, check out NTA’s transportation discounts through Continental and Star Alliance.
Want to hear what MONTAGE chair, Larry Friedman, has to say? Larry’s blog starts tomorrow! Click here to read the blog entries and share your thoughts. Larry will blog weekly starting tomorrow until MONTAGE.
MONTAGE couldn’t be possible without our wonderful sponsors, including the Tourism Office of Seville. Get international exposure for your company throughout the entire event-become a MONTAGE sponsor and receive a variety of sponsor benefits including complimentary registration fees and sponsor promotions before, during and after the event. Contact NTA Sponsorship Manager Melisa-Beth Rooke to reserve your sponsorship today!
No restrictions on attendance. No Boundaries to Selling. That’s MONTAGE. Register today.
NTA Renewals are Due January 31 
To continue receiving access to 1500 tour operators who conduct series tours and develop diverse, innovative product, or to remain on top with the supplier and destination partners who have worked with you in these challenging times, renew your NTA membership today.
We stand by to answer any questions about your membership, so contact us at +1.859.226.4298 or 800.682.8886 (U.S. and Canada).
Connections and knowledge are powerful tools and NTA membership provides members with access to the partners and information to succeed in today’s business environment. With a membership surpassing 3,000, NTA is THE place for innovative business opportunities. Don’t wait until the last minute, renew today.
Electronic System for Travel Authorization is an electronic travel authorization that all citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries must obtain prior to boarding a carrier to travel by air or sea to the United States. ESTA has been mandatory since Jan. 12, 2009. Beginning January 20 of this year, Customs and Border Protection initiated a 60-day transition to enforced ESTA compliance for air carriers. Visa Waiver Program travelers without an approved ESTA may not be allowed to board a U.S.-bound plane. The requirement does not affect U.S. citizens returning from overseas or citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries traveling on a valid U.S. visa.
ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel, and once approved, generally will be valid for up to two years or until the applicant’s passport expires, whichever comes first. Authorizations are valid for multiple entries into the United States. The Department of Homeland Security recommends that ESTA applications be submitted as soon as an applicant begins making travel plans. Click here to log onto the ESTA Web site and complete an on-line application. To help educate your travelers, NTA members may want to use the consumer banner ads created by the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Control and see how to download them to your own site. Click here for ESTA fact sheets or read ESTA frequently asked questions.
Make Powerful Connections at the U.S.-Cuba Travel Summit, March 24-26
Attending the U.S.-Cuba Travel Summit can help you build powerful relationships so you are ready for the opening of leisure travel between the United States and Cuba. Register today for the March 24-26 event. Sponsorship opportunities give you direct access to Cuban travel officials. Click here to see what sponsorships are available. The official Web site for the U.S.-Cuba Travel Summit, presented by Alamar Associates in association with NTA, sponsored by USTOA, provides a detailed schedule for the summit as well as registration information.
Click here to read the release on the U.S.-Cuba Travel Summit and see the coverage it has already received.
Slovakia/Hungary PDT Registration Deadline Feb. 15
February 15 is the deadline to register for the Explore Slovakia/Hungary Product Development Trip, happening May 8-13. Hosted by the Slovak Tourist Board and Discover Slovakia Tours, this PDT will take operators through Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and more with an itinerary that will highlight all that the region has to offer.
The PDT costs US$450 and includes your round-trip airfare from JFK to Vienna. Registered participants must provide their own round-trip flight to/from JFK. The PDT is limited to 10 registrants, one registration per company. Visit NTAonline.com for a preliminary itinerary and registration form. Questions can be directed to NTA Vice President of Marketing Lisa Thompson.
Dominican Republic Helping Haiti/Open for Travel
According to an official statement from NTA member the Dominican Republic Tourism Board, all cities, tourism and resort areas are conducting normal business operations in the Dominican Republic. Also, the government, consulates and embassies are working diligently with the international community on Haiti earthquake relief. Millions of Dominicans have donated time, money, supplies and expertise to help Haiti.
All of the tourist areas, hotels, resorts, airports and seaports are open and receiving visitors. No damage was reported in the Dominican Republic from the earthquake or any aftershocks. For more information on the Dominican Republic or any of its major travel sites, go to http://www.godomincanrepublic.com/.
A Word of Thanks From a Tourism Cares Scholarship Recipient 
"I am truly thankful and honored to have received the Tourism Cares, ASTA Princess Cruise Line scholarship. These funds are helping me tremendously as I work to put myself through college in order to become a hospitality professional. I was given the amazing opportunity to travel to Reno for the NTA national conference," said Pamela Johnson of Purdue University.
"While I was there, I participated in every activity and opportunity that I possibly could. From bowling to receptions to summits with mentors to welcoming guests to the Tourism Rocks dance party, I took advantage of every opportunity available and enjoyed each moment. My favorite part was meeting so many people with such a strong passion for the hospitality and tourism industry, especially my mentors from Anaheim, California CVB; Cape Cod Chambers of Commerce; Mayflower Tours; and Celtic Dream Tours. Everyone welcomed us as students and tried to make a special effort to take us under their wings and tell us as much as they could about tourism.
"Since my return to the Purdue campus, I have had countless professors ask me to speak about my experiences. I have highly recommended future NTA conferences and the tourism industry to many of my fellow colleagues. Thank you again to everyone who made this event possible and for giving me this great opportunity."
In 2009, thanks to the generous donors who contributed to establish the American Society of Travel Agents and NTA scholarship funds, Tourism Cares awarded a total of 66 scholarships totaling more than $76,800 to undergraduate students, 18 to graduate level students, and six to professional development students. The impact of these scholarships has had a wide reach as these students, who are primarily studying travel and tourism, or hospitality, represent 46 different schools across the United States and Canada.
CAPTION: Tourism Cares Scholarship recipient Pamela Johnson talks to Ted Bravos, CEO of ITMI, at NTA’s Convention ’09.
Here’s a look at recent research, statistics and news that may apply to you and your business:
- Click here to see the 31 best places to travel, as reported by the New York Times. Use it to advertise a trip you may package to one of the places listed.
- In today’s economy, new clients are precious commodities. Click here to read 3 tips from a Wall Street Journal expert on how to win new clients.
- Click here to see the 2009 CLIA Cruise Line Overview.
The links in this article are not monitored by NTA staff. Any bad links, expired pages, etc. are due to the constantly changing nature of Web sites.
Meet IGLTA President and CEO John Tanzella in February Courier
The February issue of Courier includes the first in a series of monthly columns in the business section dedicated to introducing you to NTA’s strategic partners in greater depth. On page 10, you’ll meet John Tanzella, president and CEO of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association, with which NTA established a partnership in 2008. You also can read about Sustainable Travel International, which is offering its Self-Assessment Tool (valued at US$150) to the first 50 NTA members who respond. The issue also includes a look at casino and gaming product and destination profiles of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba; British Columbia; Idaho; Montana; North Dakota; South Dakota; Wyoming; the Caribbean and America’s Atlantic Coast.
Advertisers in this issue:
The Berkely Group (TPP)—Empire State Building Observatory—Georgia Department of Tourism—Maid of the Mist—Norfolk Convention & Visitors Bureau—North Dakota Tourism Division—Pottruff and Smith—Rapid City Convention and Visitors Bureau—Stoney Nakota Resort—Tulalip Resort Casino and Spa
Upcoming Deadlines:
May Issue– 2010 Annual Preview to Convention; Beach Destinations; Wine & Culinary Tours; Canyonlands (Colorado, Grand Canyon, Nevada, Sedona and Utah); India; Iowa; Kansas; Missouri; Nebraska; Northwest Territories; Nunavut and Yukon.
Ad Space: Feb 24
Editorial: PAST
June Issue– Native American; First Nations; Western Heritage; Chicago; Gulf Coast (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas); Australia and New Zealand; Maryland; Washington, DC; Pennsylvania; Virginia; Hawaii.
Ad Space: April 1
Editorial: March 8
July Issue– Zoos and Aquariums; Faith-based Travel; Southern California; Classic New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont); Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia; Kentucky; Ohio; Tennessee; West Virginia.
Ad Space: April 28
Editorial: April 5
Click here to view the 2010 Editorial Calendar online.
"Welcome to the United States" Webinar Series Online
The "Welcome to the United States" Webinar series includes presentations from the U.S. Department of State’s Visa Services, U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Travel and Tourism Industries and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection and US-VISIT program. They provide updates for industry on travel from countries that are currently not part of the Visa Waiver Program. Countries discussed include Canada, Mexico, Latin America and Europe. Click here to see the full Webinar series.