Tuesday Newsletter – Jan. 8, 2008
January 8, 2008
Tuesday Newsletter Jan. 8, 2008
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This issue of Tuesday is sponsored by The Berkely Group, which provides a competitive Travel Protection Plan to NTA members. The plan includes an administration-free product that operators can sell to their clients and a group product that offers flexibility in pricing and compensation. To learn more click here or contact Geni Priolo at gpriolo@berkely.com. |
| Interested in becoming a Tuesday sponsor? E-mail Karla DiNardo at karla.dinardo@NTA.travel. | |
Volume 28: Issue 1
NTA EVENTS
Spring Meet Registration Opens Jan. 9
Italy’s Amalfi Coast Added to 2008 Product Development Trip Line-up
Key Dates for 2008 NTA Events
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Three Ways to Get Involved with NTA Government Relations
MEMBER BENEFITS
Tourism Cares Partners with Tour Companies to Make a Difference
Reach ITB Attendees through Product Literature Center
March Courier Advertising Deadline Extended
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Dawn Rueckl to Chair the 2010 NTA Annual Convention
NTA Job Center
NTA EVENTS
Spring Meet Registration Opens Jan. 9
Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut will host the 2008 NTA Tour Operator Spring Meet, April 2-4. The Spring Meet Web site will be available starting tomorrow, Jan. 9, and registration opens at noon (ET).
Some of the event’s highlights include networking sessions, educational seminars and pre- and post-familiarization tours to acquaint you with the region. The Icebreaker will be held at the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration, and a new team-building activity will take place to enhance the camaraderie at the event.
To find out more about this year’s host, visit http://www.mohegansun.com/. Additional Spring Meet information is available in the event preview story which appears in this month’s issue of Courier magazine.
With questions related to the event and registration, contact your NTA Member Services team at questions@ntastaff.com or by calling 800.682.8886 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4444.
Italy’s Amalfi Coast Added to 2008 Product Development Trip Line-up
NTA is proud to be working with Giglio Travel to offer a Product Development Trip to the coastal region of Italy. The trip will take tour operators to the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento from March 7 to 13, and includes stops at the Isle of Capri, the ancient ruins of Pompeii and Naples. The registration deadline is Feb. 15.
A detailed itinerary and registration information is available if you click here. The cost is $500 per attendee (add $120 if you want a single room), and it is open to two participants per company.
And, as an extra incentive for NTA tour operators, any participant that brings a group of 20 or more to Giglio Travel after the fact will receive a $500 bonus.
Questions can be directed to NTA Vice President of Marketing Lisa Thompson.
Between the NTA Tour Operator Spring Meet, Annual Convention, three Product Development Trips and the Leadership and Board of Directors meetings, there is a lot going on at NTA in the next 12 months. Here is a schedule of upcoming events:
Additions and changes to the schedule will be posted at http://www.ntaonline.com/.
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Three Ways to Get Involved with NTA Government Relations
NTA needs your assistance as it seeks bring to the attention of 2008 U.S. presidential candidates the importance of travel-related issues. Member involvement is a vital part of this NTA iinitiative, and you can help keep tourism and travel in the public dialogue throughout the campaign by doing three things:
- Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or post a message on a blog. (NTA has prepared sample letters on three different topics – the economy, America’s image and transportation – that you can adapt and send.)
- If there is an upcoming debate, caucus or primary in your area, show up and ask questions.
- Volunteer to be a part of NTA’s grassroots network.
For more information on getting involved with NTA’s government and industry relations efforts this year, click here. The page also includes information on a survey NTA conducted with industry partners that polled registered voters in South Carolina and Florida about the importance of tourism and travel issues.
MEMBER BENEFITS
Tourism Cares Partners with Tour Companies to Make a Difference
Since 2004, Tourism Cares has partnered with the Globus Family of Brands to create the Globus American Icons Program. In that time, they have awarded $100,000 in grants to nine iconic American sites in need of preservation and/or restoration.
Each of the nine is part of one of Globus’ most popular North American vacations and together they represent the diverse geography and beauty of the United States. We encourage you to visit these sites and learn more about all that North America has to offer:
Globus’ commitment to this cause reflects the tour and travel industry’s responsibility to preserve these sites for future generations to enjoy. We hope that Globus and the American Icons Program will inspire others to join the cause that means so much to the tourism community.
Reach ITB Attendees through Product Literature Center
Even if you cannot attend ITB 2008, which takes place in Berlin March 5-9, you can have a presence by providing materials to the U.S. Commercial Service for its Product Literature Center.
For $450, the U.S. Commercial Service will display catalogs/brochures from NTA’s American members and distribute your literature to attendees. The cost also includes their collecting trade leads for you, providing market feedback and assisting you on follow up with these potential clients. Additionally, they will conduct an outreach campaign in advance of the show to attract interest in your products and services, via e-mail and on their Web site.
For more information on being part of the Product Literature Center, contact U.S. Commercial Service’s Elizabeth Powell in Germany via e-mail or by calling 49.69.7535.3167 or fill in the interest form. If you want to contact a local U.S. Commercial Service representative, click here to get that information.
The deadline to sign up is mid-February. If you wish to participate, you can register by clicking here.
March Courier Advertising Deadline Extended
The March 2008 edition of Courier covers some of the hottest travel offerings for tour operators and their clients. The issue offers plenty of ways to get your company or destination in front of this key audience.
Features in the March Courier cover the upcoming Tour Operator Spring Meet and Hotels & Resorts. The trip planners showcase the Toronto and Niagara Region (New York and Canada) and Branson. March travel guides highlight Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.
The space deadline for March Courier has been extended to Jan. 11 due to the holidays so there is still plenty of time to get in the magazine ranked No. 1 in the industry by tour operators.
Click here to view the 2008 Editorial Calendar. To reach your account executive call 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4232 or e-mail them advertising@ntastaff.com.
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Dawn Rueckl to Chair the 2010 NTA Annual Convention
Dawn Rueckl, CTP, will serve as the chair of the 2010 Annual Convention, which will be held in Montréal, Québec, Nov. 13-17. Rueckl, who is the director of marketing and sales for Kamloops, British Columbia-based Wells Gray Tours, has served on the NTA Leadership Team and as a regular volunteer at Annual Convention. She was appointed as Convention chair by NTA Immediate Past Chairman and CEO Randy Julian.
"Dawn is a seasoned NTA leader and a veteran tour operator who is a consummate professional," said Julian. "Highly regarded both within and outside Canada, Dawn is sure to roll up her sleeves and help make the Montréal Convention a great event."
Rueckl will follow John Shaffer of Luray Caverns in Luray, Virginia, who will chair this year’s Annual Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Nov. 15-19) and Suzanne Slavitter, CTP, of Sports Empire Inc. in Lakewood, California, who will chair the 2009 Convention in Reno, Nevada (Nov. 14-18).
Position Available – Executive Director
Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau
Outstanding candidate to serve as CVB Executive Director, located in Gulfport, Mississippi. Position promotes, markets, sells, manages and develops the Mississippi Gulf Coast as a premier destination. Works through a series of focused committees and semi-monthly board meetings, manages staff of approximately 20, prioritizes annual budget of approximately $5 million.
Requires a four-year college degree in one or more of the following fields: Business, Management, Marketing, Travel, Hospitality or other business/management related field or directly related experience equal to or better than 10 years of progressive management experience within the tourism industry; Partial SKAs: Convention and Leisure Sales; Media Relations; Intergovernmental Relations; Constituent Relations; Marketing and Advertising. Salary $90,000, based on experience. Benefits package. EOE.
Go to http://www.gulfcoast.org/ for directions to view and apply for this job.
Position Available – Account Executive/Student Group Tour Planner
Hemisphere Educational Travel
Hemisphere Educational Travel is looking for the right individual to join our successful team in Prospect Heights, Illinois. If you would like to have a career in the student and youth travel industry, fax your resume for the following position to 847.541.7602 or e-mail brad@hemispheretravel.com. Please include a cover letter with your salary history/salary requirements.
The position that is open is Account Executive/Student Group Tour Planner. This full-time position handles sales, proposals, itinerary-building and tour planning. Applicant must be proficient with MS Office and have excellent organizational, phone, keyboarding and grammar skills. Multi-tasking is a must! The ideal candidate must be a team player, have an outgoing personality and a sense of humor. Tourism/hospitality experience is a plus. Compensation plan includes base salary plus extra commission opportunities, health/dental insurance, Simple IRA and personal travel discounts/benefits.
If you have a listing to post in the NTA Job Center section of Tuesday, e-mail NTA Communications Specialist Pat Henderson. The cost is $250 and your ad will run in two consecutive issues.
| To ensure that you’re doing business with an NTA member, go to the NTA Web site home page and click on either "Tour Operator Search" or "DMO/Tour Supplier Search" at the top of the page. |