Tuesday Newsletter – Nov. 24, 2009
November 24, 2009
Volume 29, Issue 46
Tuesday’s title sponsor is Ripley’s New York
Interested in advertising in Tuesday? E-mail Kelley Burchell at kelley.burchell@NTAstaff.com.
TODAY’S ARTICLES
Your 2010 NTA Board of Directors
NTA Honors its Own
Business Highlights from Convention ‘09
A Big Thank You to Our Convention ‘09 Sponsors
New Partner2Partner System Introduced at Convention ‘09
See Who Won at Convention ’09
Mark Your Calendars for the 2010 Product Development Trips
New Carbon Calculator on NTAonline.com
Casinos, Atlantic Coast and Much More Featured in February Courier
What’s New in Travel News
NTA held elections for the Board of Directors last week in Reno during the Convention, and Cathy Greteman of Star Destinations Inc. was inducted as the 2010 NTA chairman and CEO.
Members serving on the 2010 NTA Board are as follows:
Executive Committee:
- Chairman and CEO — Catherine Greteman of Star Destinations Inc.
- Vice Chairman/Chair-elect — Jim Reddekopp Jr. of Fly Away Holidays
- Secretary/Treasurer — Nick Calderazzo of RMP Travel
- DMO Director — Greg Eckhart of Travel Portland
- Tour Supplier Director — Carolyn Chrzan of Golden Corral – National
- Immediate Past Chairman — Michele Michalewicz, CTP, of Western Leisure Inc.
Tour Operator Directors:
- Jorge Cazenave of Cazenave Argentina
- Anne Davis, CTP, of Cruises and Tours Worldwide
- Sherri Guiborat of Mayflower Tours Inc.
- Laurie Lincoln, CTP, of Main Street Tours Inc.
- Mahen Sanghrajka of Big Five Tours and Expeditions Inc.
- Jim Warren of Star Destinations
DMO Director:
- Jennifer Sutcliffe with the Arizona Office of Tourism
Tour Supplier Director:
- Paul Nakamoto of Roaring Camp Railroads
Directors at Large (appointed by NTA Chairman and CEO):
- Fred Dixon of NYC & Co.
- Cathleen Johnson of Edelman Public Relations
- Greg Takehara of the Berkely Agency
Approximately 250 members, industry guests and former and current members of Congress gathered the first night of Convention to recognize the Honorable Jim Santini, NTA’s longtime legislative counsel. Bruce Beckham, executive director of Tourism Cares, and Larry Friedman, deputy director of sales and industry partners with the Nevada Commission on Tourism, emceed the event. Speakers toasting Jim included Jim Host, founder of Host Communications and former executive vice president of NTA; Frank Fahrenkopf, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association; the Honorable Richard Bryan, former U.S. Senator and governor of Nevada; Shelley Berkely, Nevada congresswoman; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid; Michele Michalewicz, CTP, 2009 NTA chairman and CEO; and Lisa Simon, CTP, president of NTA.
Ruth McKinney was honored during Sunday’s Business Meeting luncheon, sponsored by the Alaska Travel Industry Association, as this year’s Bob Everidge Lifetime Achievement award recipient. Established in 2003, the award honors an individual who has had an active dedication to the mission of NTA over a span of at least 20 years. McKinney, formerly of Good Will Tours, had served on the NTA Board for three years and remained actively involved with NTA through volunteer committee service over the years. McKinney also served as president of the National Tour Foundation (now Tourism Cares) and was often found working the silent auction at NTA conventions and mentoring scholarship students. She was elected to the NTF (Tourism Cares) Hall of Fame in 1999 and became an honorary NTA member with her retirement.
At Tuesday’s luncheon, sponsored by the Tourism Office of Spain, Theresa Krieg was surprised by receiving the 2009 Volunteer of the Year award. Theresa, group sales director for The Carolina Opry, has served as a member of both the NTA Board of Directors and the Leadership Team, as well as a regular volunteer at NTA events. "For all of you who love this association as much as I do, I thank you for being here today to participate in this great opportunity to be with family and to do business and to just have a good time," said Krieg while accepting the award. "I thank you so much, I so appreciate it—and I am so surprised!"
Business Highlights from Convention ’09
NTA’s Convention ’09 was a new experience for everyone who attended thanks to its co-location with the World Religious Travel Association and the enhanced business format. Anticipating solid opportunities for business, the number of buyers at this year’s Convention was higher than the number of buyers at the 2008 Convention. While this event is definitely considered a success, NTA is still looking for member feedback to continue improving how business is done, Convention after Convention.
Two members offered their opinion in issues of the Convention Daily News. Speaking about the co-location of the NTA Convention with the WRTA World Religious Travel Expo, Agustin Caparros of A Closer Look Tours out of Pheonix, Arizona, said, "The combination of these two shows has been one of the best activities in the dozen years I’ve been a member of NTA. We’re not only exposed to our friends in NTA that we’ve been seeing over the years, but also, through these different areas and pavilions, we have opportunities to see new people. I have done a lot of good business."
Also, talking about the newly redesigned Destination Pavilion, Jackie Williams of Port of San Diego and Phil Hannes of the Anaheim/Orange County CVB said, "…The new format allows innovative, open collaboration, which is why suppliers come to NTA. What we’ve done here is break down the walls, because suppliers are talking with other suppliers and DMOs are talking with other DMOs. When you don’t have an appointment, it is very easy to reach over and talk to your friendly competitor about trends and opportunities. More importantly, the pavilion allows access to tour operators to renew relationships and conduct business, and that’s why we’re here."
Look for your December Courier magazine for complete coverage of the Convention. Also, NTA will be sharing photos from the event as well as the highly requested Week in Review video.
A Big Thank You to our Convention ’09 Sponsors
NTA would like to take this opportunity to thank the Convention ‘09 sponsors. Without them, Convention wouldn’t have been possible or as enjoyable and entertaining! To learn about NTA’s generous sponsors who made it a memorable event, click here.
If you’d like to learn more about sponsoring, contact Karla DiNardo, at 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4232 or check out the Sponsorship Guide for additional information.
New Partner2Partner System Introduced at Convention ’09
NTA introduced its new Partner2Partner program, at http://p2p.ntaonline.com/, last week, which will facilitate online member connections 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
With the Partner2Partner system, members receive a number of free listings as an added benefit to their NTA membership. Among the tools of the program, there is an area for tour operators to post tour packages and potential partnering opportunities for other tour operator members to access. Through the Partner Finder search tool, tour operators may send requests for proposals or quotes to other members, including suppliers and destinations. In addition, the system includes a Classified Ads section where all members can post special offers, incentives and last-minute opportunities.
Additionally, the NTA Partner2Partner program will help members track their inquiries and postings made through the system. This is just another way NTA is helping members obtain ROI information and work smarter.
Post by Dec. 15 and be entered to win an iPhone!
Not only did Convention ’09 present ways to create new business opportunities, but also to win many great prizes.
Seven lucky tour operator members won $1,000 by shopping the Destination Pavilion Sunday and Monday of Convention ’09. The randomly selected winners were:
- Kate Carrington of Special Group Tours
- Beverly Cutshaw of Morris Murdock Travel
- Heather Huska of Anderson Vacations
- Pat McKinzie of McKinzie Tours
- Stephanie Moreau of Soccer Camps International
- Therese Pierce of Yankee Leisure Holdings
- Jennifer Robertson of About Tours
Courier magazine is rated No. 1 by NTA tour operators. Members who stopped by NTA Central and said "Courier rocks" were entered to win two rocking chairs, courtesy of Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores. The winner of the rocking chairs is Julie Peters of The Oak Ridge Boys Theatre. Congratulations, Julie!
Sheldon Eggen, president and CEO of Charter Bus Lines of British Columbia, was a big winner when his name drawn for the NTA Government Relations 50/50 giveaway. Funds raised by the 50/50 support NTA’s government relations efforts.
Dressing up for the Tuesday night Return to Woodstock party wasn’t just fun, it paid! Kai Williams of Savannah, Georgia-based Tara LLC, Ruth McKinney and Dawn Rueckl of Kamloops, British Columbia-based Wells Gray Tours tied for best dressed at the party, which was co-sponsored by The Berkely Group and Port of San Diego’s Big Bay, San Diego’s Waterfront, Bartell Hotels and Handlery Hotels. They received complimentary registrations to MONTAGE, NTA’s business event to be held next April in Seville, Spain.
Mark Your Calendars for the 2010 Product Development Trips
NTA has announced five Product Development Trips for 2010, designed for tour operators looking to develop new itineraries to both overseas and North American destinations.
Trips scheduled for 2010 are:
- San Diego Experience — April 29-May 3, hosted by the San Diego CVB
- Big Island of Hawaii — July 6-11, hosted by Fly Away Holidays Inc.
- Calgary Horsepower Tour — July 16-21, hosted by Tourism Calgary
- Discover Egypt — Sept. 2-10, hosted by Big Five Tours & Expeditions
- Lancaster and Philadelphia — Oct. 8-12, hosted by Pennsylvania Dutch CVB and Philadelphia CVB
New Carbon Calculator on NTAonline.com
NTA and Sustainable Travel International have teamed to bring members and their customers a tool to offset their company’s carbon emissions. Use the new Carbon Calculator on NTAonline.com to offset your company’s travels.
Mark your calendar for an interactive educational Webinar on Carbon Management and Offsetting presented by Ted Martens, director of outreach & development at STI, on Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. EDT. The Webinar will cover the basics of carbon footprinting, reduction, and offsetting as it relates specifically to the travel industry. The Webinar also will teach participants how to utilize NTA’s carbon calculator. Attendees will leave this session with an understanding of the importance of carbon management and how to engage their company and customers in this sustainable business practice.
Casinos, Atlantic Coast and Much More Featured in February Courier
The February 2010 issue of Courier offers plenty of ways to get your company, destination or service in front of NTA tour operators.
The feature article for this issue is on casinos and gaming. The trip planners are showcase the Atlantic Coast (North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Florida, and Georgia) and the Caribbean. February travel guides highlight Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
The space deadline for February Courier is December 4, so don’t miss your chance to gain exposure in the only publication rated No. 1 in value by NTA tour operators.
To reach your account executive call 800.682.8886, ext. 4241 or +1.859.226.4241
Here’s a look at the research, statistics and news that came out this week that may apply to you and your business:
- "Nothing replaces two business people building a professional relationship in person," said Henry H. Harteveldt, travel analyst for Forrester Research in a recent New York Times article about the benefits of business travel. "We are social beings. There are emotional as well as rational benefits to face-to-face meetings." To read the complete article, click here.
- The effort continues in Washington to lift the decades-old ban against travel by Americans to Cuba, reports the Washington Post. Click here to read the latest.
- For the first time in its history, the U.S. was ranked No. 1 in the FutureBrand’s Country Brand Index, an annual study which examines how countries are branded and ranked by international travelers. Click here for more.
The links in this article are not continually monitored by NTA staff. Any bad links, expired pages, etc. are due to the constantly changing nature of Web sites.