Tuesday Newsletter – June 17, 2008
June 17, 2008
Tuesday Newsletter June 17, 2008
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Register today to attend the 2008 NTA Annual Convention in Pittsburgh, Nov. 15-19. Whether your business needs are domestic, inbound, outbound or all of the above, you’ll find the partners you need and the business you want at NTA. Click here to learn more and to register. |
| Interested in becoming a Tuesday sponsor? E-mail Karla DiNardo at karla.dinardo@NTAstaff.com. | |
Volume 28, Issue 24
NTA EVENTS
Options Abound for Exploring Pittsburgh during Convention
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Floor Nomination Period for Board Election Open through June 30
Feedback Sought on Tracking/ROI Question
NTA Adds Member Fams Page to its Web Site
INDUSTRY NEWS
Update on Flooding in the Midwest
Step Added for Travelers Visiting the United States from Visa Waiver Nations
MEMBER BENEFITS
Display Your Brochures at the China International Travel Mart
Space Still Available on NTA Product Development Trips
NTA-ASTA Partnership Allows You to Exhibit at THETRADESHOW
New Sponsorships Announced for 2008 NTA Annual Convention
Tourism Cares Summit Coming up Aug. 3-6
September Courier Showcases Museums, Rail Travel and Music Destinations
NTA EVENTS
Options Abound for Exploring Pittsburgh during Convention
Pittsburgh, which was selected as one of Frommer’s top 13 U.S. travel destinations for 2008, is gearing up to welcome this year’s NTA Annual Convention, Nov. 15-19. The 2008 event coincides with Pittsburgh’s 250th anniversary, and the Steel City has many ways to introduce NTA delegates to its industrial, technological and cultural history and provide product development ideas.
Attendees can explore the city during the four pre-Fam and two post-Fam tours and on the 10 sightseeing tours. This year’s Icebreaker provides another way delegates can learn about the city, since it will take place at the Sen. John Heinz History Center. Additionally, Pennsylvania Night, held at the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, is another evening where food, music and fellowship will take place at a classic Pittsburgh attraction.
Register now to discover the experiences that you can only have in Pittsburgh at the 2008 NTA Annual Convention. You can view an exclusive welcome video from Pittsburgh on the Convention homepage.
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Floor Nomination Period for Board Election Open through June 30
The Nominating Committee will accept nominations from the floor through June 30, at which time the full slate of candidates will be finalized for this year’s Board of Directors election. Announcement of all candidates will appear on NTA Online under "This Just In" and in the July 1 edition of Tuesday.
Floor nominees must meet all the qualifications for nomination as established in the NTA bylaws and must be nominated by an eligible voter. Nominations should be submitted in writing to either Nominating Committee Chair Randy Julian or committee liaison Matt Grayson.
In addition to the call for nominations from the floor, the Nominating Committee also submitted names of candidates for officer and director seats for the 2009 NTA Board of Directors. To see that list, click here.
Feedback Sought on Tracking/ROI Question
The June NTA Question of the Month on the member forums deals with how your company tracks return on investment for leisure travel groups and FITs. The tracking issue continues to be critical to DMOs, as they seek to overcome budgetary hurdles.
Members interested in sharing their thoughts can do so by logging on to the member forums. To access the password-protected forums, you will need your member ID and password, which were included at the top of the e-mail you received showing the headlines for newsletter articles. If you have not created your password, click the link above to go to the NTA Member Forums and follow the instructions.
The question of the month was developed based on feedback received from delegates who attended the general crackerbarrel at last month’s Tour Operator Spring Meet. Feel free to give your thoughts on any of the questions currently posted.
NTA Adds Member Fams Page to its Web Site
Last month, NTA added a new page to its Web site that promotes member familiarization trips. The page includes line listings in bullet point form with details on upcoming Fams.
To get your trip included, please e-mail the following information to fams@NTAstaff.com:
The page will be launched after the first few submissions come in, and it will be updated regularly. Listings will be taken down after the Fam has taken place.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Update on Flooding in the Midwest
Reports out of the Midwest indicate that the flooding of the past 10 days is likely to continue. While rivers in Iowa near Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Des Moines seem to have crested, the Mississippi River is rising and could cause further problems along the state’s eastern border. Many other Midwestern states such as Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Wisconsin also are reeling from the floods.
Becky Gruening of the Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau said that the best source for updates on road closures, detours and flood rerouting in her state is http://www.511ia.org/. Flood-related conditions are changing hourly, and she said this site will contain the latest information for tour operators with groups or FITs traveling in the state.
If association members in any of the states struggling with flood-related difficulties have information they want NTA to pass along to other members, they should contact Andrea Richardson at andrea.richardson@NTAstaff.com, or by calling 800.682.8886, ext. 5019. If you would like to support relief efforts, consider making a donation to the American Red Cross.
Step Added for Travelers Visiting the United States from Visa Waiver Nations
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security added a new security step before travelers from the 27 Visa Waiver Program countries come to the United States. Under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, every visitor will need to receive an electronic travel authorization prior to boarding a U.S.-bound airplane or cruise ship.
Currently, citizens of VWP countries complete a written Form I-94W providing basic biographical, travel and eligibility information as they are heading to the United States. As of Aug. 1, 2008, DHS will begin accepting this information for travelers from Visa Waiver countries before their departure through voluntary applications filled out on the ESTA Web site.
ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel, and once approved, will be valid for up to two years or until the applicant’s passport expires, whichever comes first. DHS officials recommend filling out the form as soon as an applicant begins planning U.S.-bound travel. After the application is received, ESTA will determine – almost immediately in many cases – if an individual is eligible for VWP travel.
While the exact date that the policy will take effect has not been set, the mandatory ESTA requirements are expected to kick in Jan. 12, 2009. The new policy will not affect U.S. citizens traveling overseas.
For more information on ESTA, including an FAQ document, please visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Web site.
MEMBER BENEFITS
Display Your Brochures at the China International Travel Mart
Would you like to have your company’s brochure displayed at the largest tourism fair in Asia? NTA will be coordinating a catalog display for its members at the 2008 China International Travel Mart, which will take place Nov. 20-23 in Shanghai.
The event draws thousands of consumers and includes more than 2,000 booths. Participating exhibitors come from nearly 100 countries and represent all sectors of the travel industry including international and domestic tourist organizations, travel agencies, hotels, airlines and related travel companies.
For only USD$500, you can display your brochures at the NTA booth during the show, so even if you cannot attend CITM, you can get your message in front of potential partners and consumers in the world’s fastest growing tourism market. To participate in the catalog show, or for more information on the NTA China Inbound Program, contact Matt Grayson at 800.682.8886, ext. 4250 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4250.
Space Still Available on NTA Product Development Trips
There are a limited number of spots available and registration is still open for the Best of Bavaria Product Development Trip, Oct. 24-31; the British Columbia trip, Oct. 6-11; and the NTA/American Tourism Society conference and trip in Egypt, Oct. 27-Nov. 4.
On the Best of Bavaria trip, hosted by Bavaria Tourism, tour operators will be exposed to a fantastic itinerary with many new product development ideas for the region. Register today to secure your company’s spot.
For the British Columbia Product Development Trip, hosted by Tourism Vancouver Island and the Vancouver Coast & Mountains Tourism Region, limited spaces remain and the registration deadline is Sept. 1. Click here to register or for a more complete itinerary.
Registration also is open for the American Tourism Society Annual Conference and NTA Product Development Trip to Egypt. ATS is waiving its membership fees exclusively for NTA tour operators to attend their Annual Conference in Cairo, Oct. 27-30. Afterwards, you can be part of an NTA Product Development Trip from Oct. 30-Nov. 4, which will feature a five night/six day cruise on the Nile in a 5-star vessel.
If you have questions about any of these upcoming product development opportunities, or would like to host a 2009 trip, contact NTA Vice President of Marketing Lisa Thompson.
NTA-ASTA Partnership Allows You to Exhibit at THETRADESHOW
Through a strategic partnership with ASTA and THETRADESHOW, NTA tour operators have a pair of fantastic options for exhibiting at the event, which will take place Sept. 7-9, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. NTA operators can reserve a countertop booth in a larger shared space or reserve their own standard booth in the newly established Tour Operator Pavilion.
The new shared option allows NTA operators who would like to exhibit but might not have the budget for a stand-alone booth to have a presence. Space is limited in the special pavilion area to the first 30 operators, and the significantly discounted cost of a pavilion countertop is USD$1,575. The counter includes a header graphic, standard bar stool and complimentary admission for attendee. The discounted rate for a standard, full booth (10′ x 10′) is USD $2,375.
To reserve a countertop space or standard booth, complete this special booth contract and fax it to 703.739.8717.
New Sponsorships Announced for 2008 NTA Annual Convention
NTA recognizes you have a lot of options when it comes to marketing your company or destination. That’s why your association has created new sponsorship options based on your requests and ideas.
Also, the NTA staff can work to create a unique sponsorship just for you. NTA specializes in tailor-made sponsorships, which can aid you in branding your company and destination to the NTA tour operators and leave a lasting impression beyond the 2008 Convention in Pittsburgh. According to 2007 NTA Annual Convention sponsors, 91 percent were pleased with their sponsorship and 73 percent indicated their intent to renew their sponsorship in 2008, making the sponsorship program one of the most successful in the travel industry.
Contact Karla DiNardo at 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4232 to learn how you can join the impressive list of sponsors and get the attention you deserve at a price your budget can afford.
Tourism Cares Summit Coming up Aug. 3-6
Registration continues to be available for the 2008 Tourism Cares Summit, which will take place at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Aug. 3-6.
This year’s event will be expanded to include workshops featuring experts in sustainable tourism and one session will delve into ways to "green" your organization and your products so you can have a positive impact on the future of travel and, more specifically, your business. The Tourism Cares Summit will still include the traditional networking and recreation opportunities you’ve come to love.
If you are a travel supplier, you’ll have the opportunity to meet executives and decision-makers from some of the finest and most influential tour operators, incentive operators and high-volume travel agencies anywhere. If you’re a qualified buyer of travel products, you can share ideas with your colleagues, learn the latest on tour and travel components and enjoy the company of your peers. Keep in mind that unlike trade shows, the ratio of buyers to suppliers at this event is nearly two-to-one.
Join Tourism Cares in Las Vegas for its 2008 Summit; it’s the place to be for fun, friendship and a look into the future of travel.
September Courier Showcases Museums, Rail Travel and Music Destinations
With the feature stories focusing on museums, rail travel and music destinations, the September issue of Courier is your ticket to getting your company or destination in front of NTA tour operators. Other stories in the issue highlight Alaska, the American Southwest (Arizona, Mexico, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas), Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
The space deadline for September Courier is June 30, so there is still plenty of time to get in the magazine read by 88 percent of NTA tour operators each month. Click here to view the full 2008 Editorial Calendar, or to reach your account executive call 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4232 or e-mail advertising@NTAstaff.com for more information.
| 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. |