Tuesday Newsletter – June 24, 2008
June 24, 2008
Tuesday Newsletter June 24, 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 25
NTA EVENTS
NTA, Tourism Cares Pay it Forward in Pittsburgh
Register for Destination Pavilion Webinar
Reach Delegates through the Convention Daily
ASSOCIATION NEWS
U.S.-China Gala Welcome Event a Huge Success
Last Call for Floor Nominations for 2009 NTA Election
Member Input Sought before July 12-13 NTA Leadership Meeting
And Speaking of NTA Board and Leadership Meetings …
MEMBER BENEFITS
Make the Choice Now to Enroll in NTA’s CTP Program
Tourism Cares Grant Program Has an Impact
Discounts Available with The Berkely Group
July Courier Preview
NTA EVENTS
NTA, Tourism Cares Pay it Forward in Pittsburgh
NTA is always coming up with new ways to add value to its Annual Convention, and this year your association is adding a new charitable event. NTA and Tourism Cares will give back to Pittsburgh through a literacy-based initiative, with delegate involvement beginning the day before Convention opens – Friday, Nov. 14 – and continuing throughout Convention week.
Here is how you can get involved and pay it forward to residents of Pittsburgh:
- Pittsburgh Cares will begin collecting books in October; NTA delegates will be able to donate books, specifically travel-related books, to the book drive during Convention.
- Friday Nov. 14, delegates will gather in downtown Pittsburgh from 5-8:30 p.m. to work on sorting and wrapping books and assembling bookcases, along with other children’s literacy activities. There is a maximum capacity of 250 volunteers for this evening, so contact NTA Member Services right away to secure your spot.
- Throughout Convention week, Pittsburgh Cares will be in the Convention Mall with a station where volunteers can help with additional book sorting and wrapping and assist in completing a children’s literacy mural.
- On Tuesday, Nov. 18, NTA will send four teams of 10 volunteers to organize the delivery of the books, bookcases and the literacy mural to sites throughout the city.
If you want to take part in "NTA and Tourism Cares Give Back," pass along that information when you sign up for Convention. If you are already registered but want to help with the project, or have additional questions about it, e-mail your Member Services Team.
Register for Destination Pavilion Webinar
The Destination Pavilion made its debut in Kansas City, Missouri, to rave reviews and will be back at the 2008 Annual Convention in Pittsburgh. To help destination and supplier members get more from their Convention experience and use the Destination Pavilion to the fullest, NTA will host a Webinar – "The NTA Annual Convention: Making the Destination Pavilion Work for You" – Tuesday, July 22 at 3 p.m. (ET).
Greg Eckhart from Travel Portland and Scott Hartcorn of Shilo Inns Suites Hotels will walk you through the Destination Pavilion and share success stories from last year that are sure to give you great ideas to implement for the 2008 Convention.
To register for the one-hour Webinar, e-mail NTA Vice President of Marketing Lisa Thompson.
Reach Delegates through the Convention Daily
With Annual Convention registration in full swing, it’s time to think about how you can promote your company to the thousands of delegates who will be attending NTA’s marquee event this November.
One way you can maximize your exposure and presence at the Convention is by placing an advertisement in the Convention Daily newsletter. This four-color publication, printed each day during Convention, will be available at the Convention Mall and will be hand-delivered to delegates as they arrive at the convention center each day.
Three- and five-day advertising packages allow you to display up to five different ads throughout the event, and you can use this valuable space to promote your special, a giveaway or to draw attention to your booth. To reach your account executive, call 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4232.
ASSOCIATION NEWS
U.S.-China Gala Welcome Event a Huge Success
NTA and TIA hosted a gala event last Thursday to welcome the inaugural group of Chinese leisure travelers to the United States. More than 260 Chinese travelers were in attendance, along with industry leaders and U.S. and Chinese government officials including China National Tourism Administration Chairman Shao Qiwei, U.S. Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China Clark Randt and U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez.
"NTA is proud to join with TIA in hosting this monumental event as the U.S. opens its doors to these new international leisure visitors," said NTA Chairman and CEO Bob Hoelscher, CTP. "NTA tour operators participating in the China Inbound Program are ready to assist Chinese travel agents, and the initial NTA list included more than 90 U.S.-based tour operators."
NTA President Lisa Simon, CTP, added: "NTA is the industry partner that has enabled the Memorandum of Understanding to be facilitated by implementing the list of tour operators approved to work with Chinese travel agents."
Nearly 20 media outlets attended the gala including CNN International, Reuters, The New York Times and Chinese outlets such as China Central Television and World Journal. To date, more than 35 outlets from across the globe have covered this landmark event. Articles and broadcast coverage has appeared on Forbes.com, CNN.com, Reuters.com, China Daily and People’s Daily Online.
Following the U.S.-China Gala Welcome Event, six different groups of Chinese travelers were touring New York City and Washington, D.C., before traveling to Los Angeles, Hawaii and San Francisco.
Last Call for Floor Nominations for 2009 NTA Election
The deadline to submit nominations from the floor for this year’s Board of Directors election is June 30. Names of candidates should be forwarded to the NTA Nominating Committee by that date, then the full slate of candidates will be posted in next week’s issue of Tuesday and on "This Just In."
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.
Member Input Sought before July 12-13 NTA Leadership Meeting
Your 2008 Leadership Team is holding its second meeting of the year July 11-12 in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to gathering as a full group during the two-day session, the Leadership Team will split into its 10 committees, sub-committees and task forces to work on specific topics ranging from the 2008 Convention and government relations to membership growth and industry outreach.
If you have something you feel needs to be brought before the group during the upcoming meeting, please pass your suggestions along to NTA Vice President of Communications Catherine Prather by July 2 at 800.682.8886, ext. 4264 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4264.
And Speaking of NTA Board and Leadership Meetings …
Hosting an NTA meeting is a great way to showcase your destination or venue to your association’s leaders. The bid process is now open for destinations interested in playing host to 2009 NTA Board of Directors and Leadership Team meetings, which include:
Interested parties should fill out the bid specification form and return it to NTA Events Manager Christy Cleveland by June 30.
MEMBER BENEFITS
Make the Choice Now to Enroll in NTA’s CTP Program
Whether you want to boost your standing with your industry colleagues, better understand the packaged travel business or take advantage of a new chance for personal and professional growth, NTA’s Certified Tour Professional program may be your answer.
NTA’s updated CTP curriculum goes to the core of what industry professionals need to stay on top. After receiving input of more than 100 NTA members, Temple University’s School of Tourism and Hospitality Management redesigned the program, which includes the following three CTP courses:
The new CTP program also was designed with adult learners in mind so that certification can be obtained in a year. The course work can be done on your own time via Temple’s Blackboard system, where all the materials you need to earn your CTP can be accessed. Additionally, NTA will offer each of the three courses at the 2008 Convention in Pittsburgh.
To learn more about NTA’s CTP program, click here, or contact Andrea Richardson. We hope you’re a part of the 2008 graduating class!
Tourism Cares Grant Program Has an Impact
Each year, Tourism Cares awards more than $300,000 in grants to more than 20 deserving non-profit organizations around the world. These global organizations are charged with preserving and restoring cultural, historic and natural tourism-related sites.
One of the most recent grant recipients, the Corporation for Jefferson’s Poplar Forest in Forest, Virginia, will use the $10,000 to restore the Thomas Jefferson Wing of Offices. Poplar Forest, which was Jefferson’s private retreat, is considered the founding father’s most mature architectural masterpiece. Its Wing of Offices, designed and built by Jefferson, contains a storage room, kitchen, laundry/cook’s room and smokehouse.
The Tourism Cares grant will facilitate the updating of key quarters of the wing and aid in the purchase of glass and hardware for doors and windows, as well as other construction materials. The restoration, which aims to use early 19th-century materials, tools and building methods, will enable the full architectural design of Poplar Forest to be seen by the public for the first time in 160 years.
It is only with the support of groups like NTA and its members, that Tourism Cares is able to achieve its mission of restoring the past and preserving the future, and Tourism Cares thanks you for your continued support. For a complete list of grant recipients, please visit the Tourism Cares Web site.
Discounts Available with The Berkely Group
The Berkely Group, a long-time NTA Corporate Partner, designs and customizes travel insurance products that are available exclusively to NTA tour operators located in the United States. Operators can save a significant amount through special NTA member rates on insurance and qualify for premium credits as high as 15 percent off the already discounted rates.
This Berkely coverage protects tour operators from claims arising from negligent acts and errors or omissions in professional services rendered. The policy offered to NTA tour operators is a broad policy that includes both General Liability and Professional Liability, and covers incidents occurring anywhere in the world during the policy period.
Tour operators can earn up to a 5 percent premium credit toward their next policy through Berkely by attending one of the company’s educational sessions at the NTA Convention. The risk management seminars will take place from 8 to 9 a.m. and 1:45 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, and tour operators attending both sessions can earn up to a 10 percent in premium credit. Also, members can visit with Berkely representatives at their booth on the Convention floor to learn more.
Click here for information on the Berkely corporate partnership, or contact Karla DiNardo at 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4232.
NTA also has a corporate partner for Canadian tour operators interested in insurance coverage. Click here for more information on NTA Corporate Partner Pottruff and Smith Insurance Brokers.
Swimming with whale sharks in Atlanta, taking a cruise to Biblical sites in Turkey, riding a zipline in Ohio and going underground to see a West Virginia coal mine are just some of the topics highlighted in the July issue of Courier magazine. The features stories focus on North American zoos and aquariums and faith-based tourism attractions around the globe, while the trip planners showcase New England and destinations along the Pacific Ocean in California and Mexico. Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia are covered through the July travel guides, and the business section includes information on green motorcoaches and the "NTA and Tourism Cares Give Back" project at the 2008 Annual Convention.
UPCOMING DEADLINES:
October Issue – Ad Space: July 28; Editorial: Past
Annual Convention Issue; Great Plains (Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming); Central and South America; Connecticut; Maine; Massachusetts; New Hampshire; Rhode Island; Vermont.
November Issue – Ad Space: Aug. 25; Editorial: June 30
Dining; Shopping; Green Attractions; Chicago; America’s Historic East (Colonial Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland and Pennsylvania); Delaware; New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island; Quebec; New Jersey; New York.
December Issue – Ad Space: Sept. 29; Editorial: Aug. 4
2008 Convention Coverage; Artisan and Factory Tours; The Rockies (Alberta, British Columbia, Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Utah); Smoky Mountains (Asheville, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge); Alabama; Florida; Louisiana; Mississippi.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Anderson Vacations – Autry National Center – The Berkely Group (TPP) – Beverly Garland’s Holiday Inn/Universal City – Boyds Bear Country – Chase Paymentech – Dollywood – Empire State Building Observatory – Foxwoods Resort Casino – Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center – Historic Temple Square LDS Church – John G. Shedd Aquarium – Pechanga Resort & Casino – Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism – Pottruff & Smith Insurance Brokers Inc. – West Virginia Division of Tourism – Yankee Candle Company Inc.
More information on the 2008 Courier Editorial Calendar and the 2009 Courier Editorial Calendar also is available.
| 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. |