Tuesday Newsletter – March 2, 2010
March 2, 2010
Volume 30, Issue 9
Interested in advertising in Tuesday? E-mail Kelley Burchell at kelley.burchell@NTAstaff.com.
TODAY’S ARTICLES
MONTAGE Memo 11: Sign Up/Registar
Newly Introduced TRIP Act Means Money for DMOs and Domestic Travel
Your Cuba Questions are Answered in the March issue of Courier
Update on Chile’s Tourism Infrastructure After Last Week’s 8.8 Earthquake
Expand Your China Marketing Efforts with NTA and COTTM
Tourism Cares Announces 2010 Grant Recipients
Thanks for Tracking
What the U.S. Travel Alert Really Means to Your Customers
Streamline your Marketing Research with The Trend
The Mysteries of Egypt Unveiled in NTA’s PDT
Last Chance to Participate in the May (Preview to Convention) Courier
What’s New in Travel News
MONTAGE Memo 11: Sign Up / Registrar 
Final week to register for MONTAGE Product Development Tours!
Tour Operators: The deadline to sign up for the post-MONTAGE product development trip is March 10! While the pre-PDT is sold out, there are a few openings on the post-PDTs, but you need to sign up now to get a seat!
Tour Suppliers and DMOs: Sellers at MONTAGE can register to attend the post-PDT (link) at a cost of $300 per registrant. Act today to secure your spot!
And all MONTAGE attendees are invited to take part in the annual Seville Fair, April 18-20. Extend your stay a few days to experience the tradition, spectacle and glamour of this annual event, including the midnight Alumbrado ("The lighting of the Fair"), when thousands of lights are turned along the streets of the fairgrounds, and an optional bullfight.
Need one more incentive? New, LOWER, hotel rates have just been negotiated. You’ll find the details here.
MONTAGE is just one of the many ways NTA expands buying and selling opportunities for our members. Register today and find out where your membership can take you
For more about MONTAGE and how attending can help expand your business, visit the MONTAGE Web site.
To get the most exposure at MONTAGE, take advantage of sponsorship opportunities to receive a variety of benefits including complimentary registration fees and promotions before, during and after the event. Contact NTA Sponsorship Manager Melisa-Beth Rooke at 800.662.8886 (U.S. and Canada) or +1.859.219.3549 to reserve your sponsorship today!
No restrictions on attendance. No Boundaries to Selling. That’s MONTAGE.
Newly Introduced TRIP Act Means Money for DMOs and Domestic Travel
Representative Sam Farr (D-California), co-chair of the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus, introduced H. R. 4676, the Travel Regional Investment Partnership (TRIP) Act, on Friday, which will provide US$50 million in matching grants to destination marketing organizations and their strategic partners.
Contact your U.S. representatives and urge them to become co-sponsors of the bill. You may use NTA’s Legislative Action Center to find your representatives and contact them. Representatives should contact Tom Tucker in Representative Farr’s office to be added to the co-sponsor list.
H.R. 4676 authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to provide US$10 million annually in matching grants for five years to convention and visitor bureaus, state tourism offices and regional tourism organizations. These entities can work with others in the tourism sector in their proposals, which will be measured by job creation, travel expenditures and taxes generated.
Additional information can be obtained by contacting NTA Public Affairs Advocate Steve Richer.
Your Cuba Questions are Answered in the March issue of Courier
In the March issue of Courier, editor in chief Penny Whitman talks with Cuba expert Kirby Jones, president of Alamar Associates, about the upcoming U.S.-Cuba Travel Summit, Cuba’s history and its imminent position as a lucrative new market for American tour and travel businesses.
"There’s a coming together of various elements," said Jones, who cited Washington’s new outlook and current efforts in Congress as reasons that now is the time to get positioned for this market. "Cubans haven’t dealt with Americans for 50 years," Jones said. "They know how to do the business, but they don’t know who is out there." Conference attendees will have the opportunity to meet face to face with potential partners and Cuban officials. Click here to read more about Cuba’s tourism draws, its current infrastructure and Jones’ reflections on its history and culture.
Sponsor and you can have direct access to Cuban travel officials, including a private dinner for sponsors and Cuban officials on the opening night of the Summit. Click here to see what sponsorships are available.
Update on Chile’s Tourism Infrastructure After Last Week’s 8.8 Earthquake
The cities closest to the epicenter of Saturday’s earthquake in Chile, including Concepcion, Talcahuano and Temuco, as well as a number of small towns along Chile’s central coast, were most affected. The five tourism regions promoted by Turismo Chile are reporting the following updates:
Desert – The north of Chile was not affected by the quake and has not reported any damage.
Easter Island – Easter Island, which lies 2,300 miles off the cost of mainland Chile, a 5.5 hour flight from Santiago, was not affected by the quake. Initial tsunami warnings have been lifted and all operations are normal.
Santiago and Central Region – Santiago’s airport suffered structural damage to the passenger terminal, however no damage was reported to the runways and the airport is expected to reopen later this week. Electricity and phone lines have been restored in Santiago and the city’s public transportation is fully operational. The annual Viña del Mar International Music festival which was underway has been suspended.
Lakes and Volcanoes – The southern part of the Lakes and Volcanoes region was not affected by the quake. Operations in popular tourist towns including Pucon, Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt are normal. The northern part of the Lakes and Volcanoes region, around the city of Concepcion and the Bio Bio River, was most affected by the quake and authorities are still working on assessing the full damage. Basic essential services are gradually being restored.
Patagonia – The far south of the country was not affected by the quake and has not reported any damage.
U.S. and Canadian tour operators requiring additional information or assistance can contact Turismo Chile.
Expand Your China Marketing Efforts with NTA and COTTM
You can open doors to a new market of leisure travelers into the United States, through NTA’s pavilion at the China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market, coming up April 28-30, at the Beijing World Trade Center.
Contact NTA Government Relations Administrator Ken Goode today to reserve your spot in the NTA U.S. Pavilion and secure your space more cost-efficiently than doing it yourself.
Tourism Cares Announces 2010 Grant Recipients 
Tourism Cares, NTA’s official philanthropy, is proud to announce the 2010 winter grantees as part of its Worldwide Grant Program. Six nonprofit organizations were awarded funding, totaling $45,000. With all recipients receiving dollar-for-dollar matching funds from other organizations, a total of $90,000 will be presented to the organizations for projects in the areas of historic preservation and restoration, eco-tourism and sustainable tourism, conservation education, and interpretation of natural and cultural heritage sites.
For more information on the Worldwide Grant program, and for a full listing of recipients, past and current, click here. To date, Tourism Cares has awarded funding to 143 organizations, including a dozen national parks, in 42 U.S. states and 26 countries. These grants, when combined with matching funds, total nearly $2 million.
The month of February saw some great activity on NTA’s online Tracking/ROI system. More than 50 e-mails were sent to various NTA-member DMOs through our online system.
NTA would like to thank these operators for taking the time to share this valuable information with their DMO colleagues:
- Agri Travel Services, Denver, Colorado
- Destinations Unlimited Inc., Southington, Connecticut
- Educational Tours and Travel Corporation, St. George, Utah
- Mayflower Tours Inc., Downers Grove, Illinois
- Performance Tours, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Prudent Travel & Tours Inc., Hillsboro, Kansas
- Sun Fun Tours Ltd., Kamloops, British Columbia
- Time Lines LLC, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Wolfe Adventures & Tours, Shirley, Massachusetts
Being a hero to your DMO friends is even easier with the quick link to the Tracking/ROI system at the top right of your Tuesday newsletter e-mail! Go to NTAonline.com, use the Tracking System and help ensure your DMO partners continue to offer their invaluable services to your company today and tomorrow!
What the U.S. Travel Alert Really Means to Your Customers
If you’ve heard about the recent extension of the travel alert to Mexico, your clients may ask what this means for potential plans to visit Mexico. According to NTA member the Mexico Tourism Board, the alert for Mexico does not discourage U.S. citizens from traveling to the country’s tourist destinations. The main tourist destinations for U.S. citizens are geographically far from the very specific areas included in the alert, which include Michoacán, Durango, Coahuila and Chihuahua. For example, Cancun, Los Cabos and Acapulco are at least a two-hour flight away from the main areas identified in the alert. The distance from Cancun to Ciudad Juarez is 1,312 miles – approximately the same distance between New York and Miami (1,290 miles).
More than 21.5 million international tourists visited Mexico in 2009. Air arrivals from the U.S. in December 2009 were up approximately 6.2 percent from December 2008, demonstrating that U.S. travelers view Mexico’s unique vacation destinations and attractions as safe and violence in northern Mexico as unrelated to Mexico’s principal tourist destinations.
To see the U.S. Department of State alert, click here.
Streamline your Marketing Research with The Trend
Did you know that according to the Department of Commerce’s Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, 12 of the top 20 countries for inbound visitation to the U.S. posted increases in visitation to the United States in November 2009? In fact, visitation from four of the top 20 countries registered double-digit increases.NTA has compiled all of this information, and more, in one, easy-to-use resource, The Trend.
This type of information can help you develop a targeted marketing and business plan. Since you are busy, this monthly e-newsletter can help you work more efficiently through its quick, easy access to research, trend information and news you can use. Want to know more about The Trend? E-mail Lisa Thompson today.
The Mysteries of Egypt Unveiled in NTA’s PDT
One of the world’s oldest civilizations is in the spotlight on this nine-day trip. Participants of the Discover Egypt Product Development Trip, Sept. 2-10, hosted by Big Five Tours & Expeditions, will see one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the iconic Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, as well as other spots in Cairo and Memphis.
Other ancient ruins, such as the Necropolis at Saqqara and Luxor’s temples and monuments, are part of the tour as is a cruise on the Mövenpick MS Royal Lily along the Nile River. The trip is open to only one person per company and the cost is US$890, which includes airfare within Egypt but not the cost of flying to Cairo.
A three-day add-on tour to Jordan is also available for interested operators. As a bonus, operators who book a minimum of six travelers to Egypt with Big Five Tours & Expeditions after attending the PDT will have their registration fee of US$890 rebated.
Deadline to register for the Discover Egypt PDT is June 30. Visit NTAonline.com for a detailed itinerary and registration form. Questions can be directed to Lisa Thompson in NTA’s marketing department.
Last Chance to Participate in the May (Preview to Convention) Courier
Space deadline for the May, Preview to Convention, issue of Courier is March 5. Don’t miss your chance to participate in this important issue as it offers plenty of ways to have your company or destination directly in front of experienced tour operators.
Key features focus on the 2010 Convention in Montreal, Quebec, beach destinations and wine and culinary tours. The trip planner will showcase the Canyon lands (Colorado, the Grand Canyon, Nevada, Sedona and Utah) and Italy. States to be highlighted include Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska as well as Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon of Canada.
Be a part of the #1 valued magazine in the industry as rated by our operators!
To reach your account executive call 800.682.8886, ext. 4241 (U.S. and Canada) or +1859.226.4241 for more information.
Here’s a look at recent research, statistics and news that may apply to you and your business:
- Click here to read the six reasons your business should have a Facebook Fan page, as shared by Dave Rigotti in the online Search Engine Journal.
- The U.S. State Dept. has proposed an increase in passport fees by US$35 to US$135 per adult. Click here to read more about the issue as reported by The Los Angeles Times.
- Japan bookings to the United States decreased 10 to 15 percent on average in the third quarter of 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce sponsored Japan Travel Trade Barometer. Click here to read more on the program.
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.
Click here for the Tuesday archive.