Tuesday Newsletter – May 19, 2009
May 19, 2009
Volume 29, Issue 20
Tueday’s title sponsor is FedEx
Interested in advertising in Tuesday? E-mail Kelley Burchell at kelley.burchell@NTAstaff.com.
TODAY’S ARTICLES
Mexico Travel Alert Lifted for the United States
NTA Convention 2009: The Price is Right
Emerging China Market One of Many Explored at Spring Meet
NTA Part of Recent U.S. Congressional Committee Meeting on Tourism
New Convention Format Webinars are Available Online
Introducing the 2010 NTA Media Kit: Book Now for Discounts
Be an NTA Volunteer Leader
Take Full Advantage of NTA Benefits and Share with Co-workers
Bylaw Vote Coming Next Week
Vote This Week for the Face of Travel
Tourism Cares Awards Worldwide Grants
Meet Important Decision-makers at NTA’s Spring Meet
Mexico Travel Alert Lifted for the United States
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted its travel advisory on nonessential travel by U.S. citizens to Mexico because of the H1N1 influenza outbreak. Following the CDC’s decision, the U.S. State Department rescinded its travel alert regarding travel to Mexico, which mirrored action taken previously by a number of European and South American countries.
The CDC’s travel notice regarding the move said, "There is evidence that the Mexican outbreak is slowing down in many cities though not all." It also said that the risk of severe disease from the H1N1 virus now appears to be less than originally thought.
This was welcome news to officials with the Mexico Tourism Board, who posted the following message on www.mexico-update.com. "Mexico’s government and tourism authorities are very satisfied with the decision taken by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and consequently, the U.S. Department of State, to lift the H1N1 influenza alert against nonessential travel to Mexico. Our main priority continues to be the safety of our citizens and visitors, and with evidence that the flu appears to be less threatening than originally thought, Mexico is ready to welcome back all of its visitors and offer them the hospitality and services that have always distinguished us."
A pair of NTA tour supplier members, Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International, announced that they will resume visits to Mexican ports of call now based on the CDC’s action.
NTA Convention 2009: The Price is Right
NTA has taken great strides to help you attend Convention ’09 for a very affordable price. Below are five ways you can save money by joining your association in Reno, Nevada, Nov. 14-18.
- Registration — A new early-bird deadline for suppliers and DMOs allows them to register for the event at last year’s price if they sign up by June 23. The early-bird deadline for tour operators is July 9.
- Hotel rates — Operators can stay for as low as US$54 per night, and the lowest supplier and DMO rate is US$58.
- Tour operator rebate — Operators who take part in all prescheduled appointments can earn up to US$650 to offset travel, food and lodging expenses.
- Buy one, get one free — For every appointment-taking delegate a tour operator registers, they can bring another appointment-taking delegate for free.
- Bring an operator, pay for Convention — Suppliers and DMOs who sign-up a non-member, appointment-taking operator through the NTA Guest Program will get US$500 toward their Convention registration.
Registration opens next Thursday, May 28, and you can click here for more information on the 2009 NTA Annual Convention.
Emerging China Market One of Many Explored at Spring Meet
China is on the verge of becoming the world’s top source of travelers, and the hottest destination for growth is the United States. Delegates at the upcoming NTA Spring Meet can hear how they can tap this market during a seminar session presented by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Travel and Tourism Industries.
This session will explore trends in Chinese visitation to the U.S. and key findings from the recently completed study on long-haul leisure Chinese travel. Attendees will learn what Chinese travel suppliers, government officials and travelers say are the keys to attracting Chinese leisure group travelers and providing a memorable travel experience. Also during the Spring Meet, NTA will release important information about its China Inbound Program.
There is still time to register to attend the Spring Meet and attend this seminar, along with many others focusing on niche markets such as gay and lesbian tours, faith-based travel, heritage tourism, and green travel. Visit the Spring Meet Web site for a more detailed list of educational offerings and to register for the event.
NTA Part of Recent U.S. Congressional Committee Meeting on Tourism
Last Wednesday, the U.S. Senate Commerce subcommittee that oversees tourism issues held a hearing on "Tourism in Troubled Times." NTA Public Affairs Advocate Steve Richer attended the two-hour session on behalf of the association.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, kicked off the hearing by citing the current impact in his state, where the economy is the worst in 30 years due in large part to the tourism downturn. He was followed by senators Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, subcommittee chair; Mel Martinez, R-Florida, subcommittee ranking member; Byron Dorgan, D-North Dakota; and Mark Begich, D-Alaska, all of whom spoke to their state economies and job security issues related to tourism.
A common theme was the need to enact the Travel Promotion Act of 2009, which will create a tourism marketing corporation for the United States. The coalition would be funded by a $10 fee from visitors who come from visa-waiver countries, with the tourism private sector being responsible for match these fees. Other issues addressed in the testimony of the senators and industry representatives included:
- The adoption of "best business practices" guidelines at the Department of the Treasury to stimulate more travel-related activity from companies receiving Troubled Asset Relief Program funds
- A more efficient and friendlier process for visa acquisition and entry/exit procedures.
As both the Travel Promotion Act and the visa, entry/exit procedures issues are on NTA’s top seven issues for 2009, the hearing was both meaningful and a foundation for further success in this Congressional session.
New Convention Format Webinars are Available Online
NTA conducted a pair of Webinars on the new Convention format — one for tour operators and the other for suppliers and DMOs — and those sessions are now available at NTA Online. You can click here to listen to these two sessions, which included a detailed explanation of the new format and tips on how you can make the most of your Convention experience.
If you find you still have questions after you listen to the presentation, please e-mail them to questions@NTAstaff.com. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in Reno, Nevada, this November.
Introducing the 2010 NTA Media Kit: Book Now for Discounts
NTA is proud to announce that the 2010 Media Kit is complete and fully accessible via NTA Online.
There are some new and exciting publications added to the 2010 media kit, in addition to our existing publications. Slated for Courier in 2010 is a wide range of editorial features focusing on key tour products and some new and different itinerary ideas, travel guides on every U.S. state and Canadian province and trip planners on a variety of international and U.S. regions and cities.
The kit also includes some great sponsorship information regarding both the NTA Spring Meet and Annual Convention. Many of you are already planning for next year, so your association wanted to make sure you had your annual NTA planning resource in hand when considering your budgets for 2010.
If you book your 2010 advertising by June 30, you can lock in at 2009 rate card prices for your 2010 insertions (Note: cannot be combined with any other offer and is not valid on previously booked insertions). Contact your account executive at 800.682.8886, ext. 4241 (U.S. and Canada) or +1.859.226.4241 for more information.
Would you like to help make a difference in your association? Do you like developing new programs, brainstorming ideas or planning strategically for the future? If so, NTA has a number of volunteer opportunities to put your strengths to work.
NTA will begin planning for the 2010 Leadership Team this summer, and the first step toward becoming a volunteer leader is filling out the Volunteer Interest Form. This form simply lets NTA know the areas in which you are most interested, the capacities in which you’d like to serve the association, and whether you prefer to be part of in-person Leadership Team meetings or conference call committees.
If you have questions about volunteering for NTA, you can contact NTA Senior Vice President Agnes Amos. Completed forms should be faxed to Amos at +1.859.226.4404 by Friday, July 10.
Take Full Advantage of NTA Benefits and Share with Co-workers
Each NTA member company or destination designates a primary contact to receive association news and updates, Courier magazine, the Tuesday e-newsletter and other NTA information. While some organizations require individual memberships, don’t forget that the value of NTA membership extends beyond this one person.
For example, anyone at your company or organization can go to NTAonline.com and listen to the recordings from NTA’s Convention educational sessions. The audio from the seminars at the 2008 Convention in Pittsburgh is available to download in MP3 format, so you can take the education on the road with you.
With the association offering benefits for travel professionals doing business inbound, outbound and domestically, there may be programs and services that don’t pertain directly to your job, but that are compatible with a co-worker’s responsibilities. NTA encourages you to pass along access to these resources — and the Member Benefits Grid — to your colleagues so your company or organization can gain maximum benefit from its NTA membership.
So, don’t forget to pass along your copy of Courier, forward Tuesday, and spread the word that your co-workers can take advantage of the many tools on NTAonline.com such as the member searches (password protected for members only), NTA research and links to strategic partners.
Late next week, tour operators will be receiving information on a bylaw vote. The two issues that will be put to the operators for a vote are:
1) The ability of nonprofit arts and cultural entities to join NTA under a single membership. This language on the issue, which was put for a vote in January, will address concerns expressed by some tour operators that the original language was too broad and place numerical and geographical limitations on shared non-profit memberships.
2) The second proposed amendment concerns the tour operator application process. In its April meeting, the NTA Board of Directors discussed the current bylaws, which mandate that the Board of Directors approve companies for membership. The second question for vote would make the tour operator membership application process follow the same as the other classes of NTA membership.
Information on the bylaw vote will be disseminated electronically or via a paper ballot (for those tour operators without a working email address) next week. The voting period will run through June 29 and results will be announced in the June 30 edition of Tuesday, and questions should be directed to NTA Director of Industry and Government Relations Matt Grayson.
Vote This Week for the Face of Travel
The U.S. Travel Association will be naming the winner of its "Faces of Travel" contest following this week’s voting period, which concludes at noon (ET) this Friday, May 22. U.S. Travel received 227 nominations but has narrowed the field to six finalists. The finalists were selected based upon their creativity, public speaking ability and their passion and enthusiasm for the travel industry.
You are encouraged to watch the video submissions from each of the six finalists then cast your vote. The winner will receive $5,000 and serve as a travel industry spokesperson to help U.S. Travel communicate its message to the media, policymakers and other stakeholders of why travel matters.
Tourism Cares Awards Worldwide Grants
Tourism Cares awarded $45,000 in grants to six non-profit organizations as part of its Worldwide Grant Program for spring 2009. With matching funds from all recipients, a total of $90,000 will be presented to the organizations for projects containing a mix of sustainable tourism, cultural and heritage interpretation, preservation and restoration projects.
"As part of its mission, Tourism Cares has long been an advocate of conservation and preservation as a means to engage in responsible tourism," said Bruce Beckham, the organization’s executive director. "The worthy recipients of the Tourism Cares Worldwide Grants this spring have demonstrated similar goals."
Tourism Cares distributes Worldwide Grants three times a year to worthy nonprofit organizations worldwide. It is pleased to announce the following spring 2009 grant recipients:
- The Cultural Organization of Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts (Project to Create Outdoor Visitor Interpretation for the City’s Cultural and Heritage Sites)
- Dayton History, Dayton, Ohio (Newcom Tavern Conservation Project)
- Key West Botanical Garden Society, Key West, Florida (To Conserve and Restore the Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden)
- Marquette Maritime Museum, Marquette, Michigan (Marquette Harbor Lighthouse Restoration
- Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks – Wild Center, Tupper Lake, New York (River Otter Critical Habitat Expansion Project)
- Wildlife Alliance, Washington, D.C., for Cambodia (Community-Based Ecotourism Project in Cardamom Mountains)
Meet Important Decision-makers at NTA’s Spring Meet
It’s not too late to become an official NTA Spring Meet sponsor. Through sponsorship, you can reach NTA tour operators as they enjoy three days of business, education and fun in the beautiful Monterey, California, from June 4 to 6.
There are a few sponsorships remaining, and we would love to find just the right one for you. As a sponsor, you’ll receive a great set of benefits including access to this operator-only event, sponsor promotions and database of attending delegates.
For more information, contact NTA Vice President of Sales and Sponsorship Karla DiNardo or click here.