Tuesday Newsletter – May 26, 2009
May 26, 2009
Volume 29, Issue 21
Tuesday’s title sponsor is FedEx
Interested in advertising in Tuesday? E-mail Kelley Burchell at kelley.burchell@NTAstaff.com.
TODAY’S ARTICLES
NTA Convention Registration Opens May 28
Dine Around and Other Last Minute Spring Meet Reminder
Travel Promotion Act of 2009 Introduced; Passes Senate Committee
Update on Motorcoach Parking at Washington, D.C.’s National Mall
Canada Gearing Up for Tourism Week from June 1 to 7
NTA Convention Blog Launched
Gordon Bell and Congressman Sam Farr Named NTA Pioneers
Upgrade to NTA’s ROI/Tracking E-mail System
Bylaw Vote Begins Friday
Timely Topics Covered in The Trip Planner for Group Leaders
Tourism Cares Awards $41,000 in Scholarships
June Courier Preview
NTA Convention Registration Opens May 28
Registration for NTA Convention ’09 in Reno, Nov. 14-18, will go live on Thursday, May 28, at noon (ET). It was previously communicated that registration would open on May 19; however, because we know that many NTA members attend International Pow Wow, we moved the date in order to be most convenient for those members on the road.
So, mark your calendars now to register for the new NTA Convention, created for you, by you. And don’t forget, for every person that registers on May 28, NTA will donate $1 to the Arbor Day Foundation, which will pay to plant a tree in a U.S. national forest.
Here are some important dates to keep in mind as you get set for business in Reno:
- May 28: Registration opens at noon (ET)
- June 23: Tour supplier and DMO early-bird registration deadline (Get 2008 rates by registering early)
- July 9: Tour operator early-bird registration deadline (Save more than 30 percent off regular registration price)
- July 15: Appointment scheduling opens
- Oct. 9: Deadline for appointment submissions
Get ready for Reno, where you can work smarter and get more for your time, energy and money.
Dine Around and Other Last Minute Spring Meet Reminder
For those of you registered for NTA’s Spring Meet next week in Monterey, California, the host city has some incredible restaurants for your Dine Around experience Friday night. Click here for information regarding making Dine Around reservations before you arrive. There will be complimentary shuttles starting at 6 p.m. and running every half hour to restaurants in Carmel-by-the-Sea and every 20 minutes to spots in Pacific Grove and Cannery Row, or you can dine at one of the great eateries that is within walking distance of the hotels.
And, while you’re making those final Spring Meet plans, here are some other reminders:
- Make Your Free Shuttle Reservation — Complete the Transportation Reservation Form to take advantage of the complimentary shuttle service from the Monterey Peninsula Airport to the Monterey Marriott or the Portola Hotel & Spa.
- Register for Sightseeing — Visit the Spring Meet Web site for more information on your sightseeing options.
- What to Wear? — Monterey has an average daytime temperature of 68 degrees (Fahrenheit), so dress in layers. And remember, casual attire is appropriate for all Spring Meet events.
- Don’t Forget about Breakfast — At Spring Meet, we want to make sure you maximize your time with your colleagues and one way to do that is to attend the sit-down, plated breakfasts on Friday and Saturday.
If you haven’t registered, there is still time and at an incredible rate if you click here. We look forward to seeing you in Monterey for an incredible Spring Meet.
Travel Promotion Act of 2009 Introduced; Passes Senate Committee
The Travel Promotion Act of 2009, introduced by Senators Byron Dorgan, D-North Dakota, and John Ensign, R-Nevada, was introduced May 12 and passed May 20 by the Senate’s Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
The measure, similar to legislation introduced in the last Congressional session, currently has 18 co-sponsors. The Act would establish a nonprofit Corporation for Travel Promotion that would provide matching funds to companies and organizations for the purpose of promoting travel and tourism to the United States.
Funds for travel promotion will be raised through a $10 charge on visitors traveling to the United States from Visa Waiver countries and from industry assessments. In the travel industry Economic Summit that occurred in December 2008, industry leaders noted the importance of the Travel Promotion Act as a stimulus for the American economy.
Update on Motorcoach Parking at Washington, D.C.’s National Mall
Officials at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., are reporting that motorcoach parking in front of the National Museum of American History on the Madison Drive (National Mall) side of the museum has been temporarily eliminated due to a construction project, effective immediately. The construction will last a few months.
A temporary bus stop on Constitution Ave. between 14th and 12th streets is open, which should mean that a handful of coaches at a time can stop there to await groups leaving the American History Museum. The barriers and fencing installed by contractors has blocked museum access from Madison Avenue and resulted in no passenger drop off at that entrance, although the museum is ramped for disabled visitors on the Constitution Avenue side.
Smithsonian officials are recommending that motorcoaches park elsewhere during the day and then return to the museum for pickups. Coaches may also pick up passengers on the Mall side of the Natural History Museum (next door to the National Museum of America History) and across the National Mall at the Smithsonian Castle.
Questions should be directed to the Smithsonian’s Director of Visitor Information and Associates’ Reception Center Katherine Neill Ridgley at +1.202.633.5262. Additionally, you can click here to see a map of the affected area.
Canada Gearing Up for Tourism Week from June 1 to 7
Next week is Tourism Week in Canada, and many festivities are planned from June 1 to 7. The effort, which is coordinated by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, is wrapped around encouraging the public to experience local tourism offerings and engage government officials on travel-related issues.
The event is a national celebration that highlights the social benefits of travel, as well as promotes the far-reaching impact of the $70.6 billion tourism sector on the Canadian economy. The week will include the annual Canadian Tourism Hall of Fame ceremony in Ottawa, special lobbying initiatives on Parliament Hill and the publication of the "Report on Tourism" supplement in the Globe and Mail.
For more information on Tourism Week in Canada, click here or contact TIAC Director of Communications Kevin Desjardins.
Last week 2009 NTA Convention Chair Suzanne Slavitter, CTP, filed the first installment of her blog about this year’s event. You can follow the blog to stay updated on all things Convention, including information on the new format, which Slavitter has talked about in two of her posts.
The blog will be a good source for ongoing dialogue regarding the Convention. It is a great place to ask any questions you have, and if you want to make a comment or ask a question, you will need to create a username and password. Plus, it is easy to keep up with, since you can subscribe to the RSS feed and receive an e-mail every time there is a new post. Another feature allows you to share it with your colleagues through Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and more.
Gordon Bell and Congressman Sam Farr Named NTA Pioneers
NTA will present the fourth annual Pioneer Award to Congressman Sam Farr and Gordon Bell (posthumously) during the 2009 Tour Operator Spring Meet in Monterey, California. The award honors individuals whose accomplishments have resulted in a significant change in the travel industry from which NTA and its member, specifically tour operators, have benefited.
Bell and his wife, Ethel, are longtime owners of Three Valley Gap Heritage Ghost Town and Chateau Three Valley Lake, in southern British Columbia. The Bells acquired seven acres of lakeside property in the area shortly after the announcement that the Trans-Canadian Highway was coming through in 1956 and opened a seven-room motel, a coffee shop and a museum in 1960. They purchased 20 acres of swamp land a year later, which allowed them to expand into what is now a thriving resort with 200 guest rooms, restaurants, gardens and a Heritage Ghost Town, all of which is run by a self-sustaining hydro plant the Bells developed and installed.
Farr became a congressman in 1993, representing the area that includes tourist destinations such as Monterey, Santa Cruz, Big Basin Redwoods State Park and Pebble Beach along the central California coast. Since 1997, he has been a co-chair of the influential Congressional Travel & Tourism Caucus and has consistently worked on many fronts to further legislation that has proved favorable to the industry. He also serves as a member of the highly visible House Appropriations Committee and is the chair of the Oceans Caucus.
The awards will be presented to Bell’s family and Farr on Saturday, June 6.
Upgrade to NTA’s ROI/Tracking E-mail System
NTA’s ROI/Tracking E-mail System is the fast and easy way for tour operators to let your NTA-member DMOs know that you’ve visited their area. With the simple click of a mouse, you can help ensure that your DMO and supplier partners continue to be around to offer you the services and information that help you develop new products.
After hearing feedback from the many operators who are using the site, we have recently made an upgrade to the program. Operators can now attach up to four documents (itineraries, etc.) in one e-mail. So, if you’ve been to the same destination several times within the past quarter, you can include all of the itineraries in one e-mail to that DMO without having to do them one at a time.
This will make it even faster and easier to share your information. Mark your to do list now and remember to log on to NTA’s ROI/Tracking E-mail System today and make a DMO’s day!
Questions about the system can be directed to NTA’s Vice President of Marketing Lisa Thompson. DMOs, if you would like to help spread the word about this system to tour operators, e-mail Lisa for more information on the Grassroots Tracking Project.
Two bylaw amendments proposed by the NTA Board of Directors will be up for a vote beginning May 29.
The first proposed amendment would allow arts and cultural organizations with nonprofit status to share a single membership in NTA. For instance, while an orchestra, ballet and art museum might not independently have the funds to join NTA, through this proposed amendment, they could combine funding and align themselves to join as one tour supplier membership.
This issue was put to an operator vote in January 2009. The NTA Board recognized that there were questions as to the scope of the issue and the number of nonprofits able to share a single membership. This bylaw amendment proposal has addressed these questions by placing numerical and geographical restrictions on nonprofits sharing a single membership. The proposed language will limit the number of nonprofits joining under a single membership to 10 and they must be located within "an area of dominant influence" as defined in the amendment.
The second proposed amendment concerns the tour operator application process. In its April meeting, the NTA Board discussed the current bylaws and the mandate that the Board of Directors has to approve companies for membership. To be placed on the board approval ballot, all tour operators must satisfy NTA’s membership standards, so the board questioned the necessity of this process. Therefore, the second question for vote would eliminate the board approval ballot for tour operators.
Questions regarding voting procedures can be directed to NTA Government Relations Director Matt Grayson at 800.682.8886, ext. 4250 (U.S. and Canada) or +1.859.226.4250.
Timely Topics Covered in The Trip Planner for Group Leaders
Only a few weeks remain to be a part of the 2009 edition of NTA’s Trip Planner for group leaders, which will be published in August 2009. The magazine offers your company a great opportunity to get your product, destination or service in front of 20,000 actively planning group leaders and your NTA tour operator colleagues.
This year’s issue will include feature stories on museums; theaters; casinos; wine and culinary travel; shopping; seasonal touring; and sightseeing via rail, cruise, jeep and more.
According to the 2008 Tour Operator Profile, NTA operators ranked group leaders as the No. 1 distribution channel that they would like to continue to grow in the future. Suppliers and DMOs are highly encouraged to promote themselves to these buyers through display advertising. In addition to display advertising, tour operator members can purchase a listing in the Tour Operator Directory portion of The Trip Planner, which includes your company’s contact information, 75 words of text and color logo.
The deadline to reserve space in The Trip Planner for group leaders is June 15, so don’t miss your chance to reach this key audience. Contact your account executive at 800.682.8886, ext. 4241 or +1.859.226.4241 for more information and to reserve your space.
Tourism Cares Awards $41,000 in Scholarships
Tourism Cares will award $41,000 in NTA Academic Scholarships this year to students throughout the United States and Canada. The scholarships are awarded annually to students pursuing travel, tourism, and hospitality degrees at accredited colleges and universities.
The monetary awards, which range from $750 to $4,000, are used to cover expenses for tuition, books and educational fees only. Recipients also will be invited to attend the annual 2009 NTA Convention in Reno, Nevada, where they will shadow tourism professional mentors, participate in workshops and help with fundraising events.
The Tourism Cares Spring Scholarship Review Committee selects the NTA Scholarship recipients each year from hundreds of applicants. In addition to awarding these scholarships, Tourism Cares also offers the American Society of Travel Agents Academic and Professional Development Scholarships. Through these programs, Tourism Cares has provided more than 450 students with scholarships and other awards valued at more than $1.5 million over the past 20 years.
To see the list of the 44 NTA Academic Scholarship recipients, click here.
An article by Congressman Sam Farr about the importance of travel to the American economy and how to increase the industry’s presence in Washington, D.C. highlights a trio of marquee business section pieces in the June issue of Courier. Another one offers insights on working with receptive tour operators based on the perspectives of four NTA members and, in the third, you can learn how the new Fast Pitch session that will debut the 2009 NTA Convention can allow you to meet more business partners. Native American and First Nations Heritage is the topic of the lone feature story for June, while destination profiles focus on Chicago, the U.S. Gulf Coast, Australia and New Zealand, Hawaii, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
UPCOMING DEADLINES:
September Issue — Ad Space: July 1; Editorial: Past
Museums; Sightseeing Rail; Ski Resorts and Destinations; Alaska and Western Canada; Southwest (Arizona, Mexico, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas); Germany, Switzerland and Austria; Georgia; Florida; North Carolina; and South Carolina.
October Issue — Ad Space: July 29; Editorial: June 3
Annual Convention Issue; Great Plains (Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, North Dakota and South Dakota); Spain; Connecticut; Maine; Massachusetts; New Hampshire; Rhode Island; and Vermont.
November Issue — Ad Space: Aug. 26; Editorial: July 1
Dining Attractions; Shopping; America’s Historic East (Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C.); San Francisco Bay Area; Italy; Delaware; New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island; New Jersey; New York; Québec.
The Berkely Group (TPP) — Greater Birmingham CVB — Boyds Bear Country — Empire State Building Observatory — Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau — Hollywood Casino Bay St. Louis — Montana Department of Commerce — Norfolk CVB — Philadelphia Museum of Art — Planet Hollywood International Inc. — Virginia Beach CVB — Yankee Candle Company Inc.
Click here to see the 2009 Editorial Calendar.