Tuesday Newsletter – Sept. 30, 2008
September 30, 2008
Tuesday Newsletter Sept. 30, 2008
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| Interested in advertising in Tuesday? E-mail Kelley Burchell at kelley.burchell@NTAstaff.com. | |
Volume 28, Issue 39
TODAY’S ARTICLES
New Format for Tuesday Newsletter Debuts Today
NTA Offers Spouse/Companion Registration for Pittsburgh
Operators Can Attend the World Religious Travel Expo at Special NTA Rate
Convention Education Will Help Make Sustainability Accessible
Convention Deadlines Fast Approaching
Have Your China Product Ideas Ready for Pittsburgh
ParkRideFlyUSA Offers NTA Members Discounts for Convention and Beyond
Deadline Extended to Oct. 8 to Promote Your Company at World Travel Market
Convention Sponsorships Available: Hospitality Suite and Fresh Fruit Booth
TIA Marketing Outlook Forum Coming Up
Get Your Fam Trips Posted at NTA Online
October Courier Preview
New Format for Tuesday Newsletter Debuts Today
In an ongoing effort to improve its communications tools, NTA has revamped the headlines e-mail for its weekly e-newsletter starting today. The e-mail you’ll receive each week will include headlines and short descriptions of three or four main articles and headline-only links to rest of the articles. Once you click on the article links, you will still be taken to NTA Online where you will find the same useful and relevant news on the association, its government relations efforts and the industry.
The headlines e-mail still includes your company and individual ID and passwords, along with links to important areas of both the NTA and Convention Web sites. Members also have more opportunities for electronic advertising through the Member Specials and Job Bank sections of the e-mail and the banner ad spaces.
The redesign was discussed at the NTA Leadership Meeting in July by the Member Information Committee, the No Holds Barred Think Tank and the Selling NTA Product Online Task Force. During the meeting, the three groups looked at prototypes and provided feedback that guided the final look of the newsletter.
Please pass along your thoughts on the revamped format to Tuesday editor Pat Henderson.
NTA Offers Spouse/Companion Registration for Pittsburgh
As you may have seen in the September board meeting recap in last week’s Tuesday newsletter, the NTA Board of Directors approved a recommendation from the Pittsburgh WOW Task Force to offer NTA Convention delegates a spouse/companion registration at this year’s event.
For $150 you can bring your spouse or companion to Convention to enjoy the fabulous evening events and entertainment, along with the sightseeing tours, leisure activities and Fam trips. Additionally, your spouse or companion also has the chance to purchase tickets for Tourism Rocks and the Issues Luncheon.
Visit the Convention Web site for more details on the spouse/companion registration, including a downloadable registration form, or contact your Member Services Team.
Operators Can Attend the World Religious Travel Expo at Special NTA Rate
Thanks to the new agreement between NTA and the World Religious Travel Association, NTA tour operators are invited to attend the World Religious Travel Expo, Oct. 29-Nov. 1, in Orlando, Florida. One of the benefits of the partnership for NTA operators is that they can come to the three-day event for the special price of $49. For an additional $76 ($125 total) your registration includes a complete meal package.
Attending the Expo is a natural for many NTA tour operators who already offer faith-based packages, since the show will bring together the top authorities on the religious market along with hundreds of attendees and exhibitors representing more than 30 countries. Many of the seminars will provide details on how to reach the more than 300 million travelers who are part of the $18-billion faith-based tourism market.
Click here for more details on the World Religious Travel Expo or call 800.657.1228, ext. 4402, for information on how to register. And, if you sign up to attend in the next 48 hours, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a Holy Land cruise for two with Monarch Classic Cruises (a $4,000 value).
Convention Education Will Help Make Sustainability Accessible
Do you hear people talking about "sustainable travel," the "green movement" and "carbon offsets" but don’t know enough to get in on the conversation, much less incorporate these practices into your business? If so, make plans to attend two highly anticipated educational sessions at this year’s Annual Convention in Pittsburgh – NTA’s first green Convention.
Brian Mullis, president of Sustainable Travel International, will present "Sustainable Tourism 101: The Market Advantages of Green Travel" Nov. 16, from 9:15 to 10:30 a.m. That session, which is sponsored by Marriott International, will be followed by "How to Integrate Sustainable Business Practices" from 10:45 a.m. to noon.
In the first session, Mullis will provide an overview of the global movement toward sustainable travel including definitions of terms and the benefits of engaging in sustainability, as well as share case studies from around the world. The second session will dig a little deeper, and Mullis will present a variety of green solutions and doable options that teach you how to easily integrate sustainable business practices into your operations or refine your existing approach.
STI will have a booth on the Convention floor, which you can visit to learn more about sustainable travel. Also, if you want to find out more regarding NTA’s recent endorsement of STI’s Sustainable Tourism Eco-Certification Program, click here.
Starting in October, NTA will bring you a column from Mullis on sustainability topics in one issue of Tuesday each month.
Convention Deadlines Fast Approaching
With the NTA Annual Convention set to kick off in Pittsburgh in a month and a half, there are a few important deadlines coming up in October regarding the event. Here is a quick list to help you remember these key dates:
If you haven’t signed up yet to join us in Pittsburgh, it’s not too late. Register today to make sure your company doesn’t miss out on all the business that will take place at the 2008 NTA Annual Convention.
Have Your China Product Ideas Ready for Pittsburgh
With NTA’s role in facilitating leisure group travel from China to the United States between the approved China Inbound Program tour operators and Chinese travel agents, there is a new market opening up for U.S.-based suppliers and DMOs. One of your first opportunities to meet with tour operators who work with that market will come in Pittsburgh at NTA’s Annual Convention.
There will be many new faces at the Convention this year, as nearly 10 percent of tour operator attendees are new to NTA, most of which are participating in the China Inbound Program. These first-time delegates will be looking for fresh products to help them create packages for their Chinese clients, so come to Pittsburgh with ideas and itineraries that will be of interest to the influx of Chinese leisure travelers that will be visiting the United States in the future.
NTA is adding new tour operator members every week – more than 150 so far in 2008 – and with some signing up for Convention, you’ll want to continue monitoring the appointment scheduling system to make sure you know who has been added in case you want to meet with them in Pittsburgh. Register today to make sure your company is in Pittsburgh to gain business from one of the biggest new markets to hit the United States in years.
ParkRideFlyUSA Offers NTA Members Discounts for Convention and Beyond
Enjoy fast, friendly, hassle-free service and the peace of mind of knowing you have a parking space waiting for you when you arrive at the airport by using ParkRideFlyUSA on your next trip. The company is offering NTA members two special rates on reserved airport parking.
The first offer is for travel to this year’s NTA Convention. You can receive a 15 percent parking discount at participating airports for your trip to Pittsburgh on the Convention Web site. Reservations also can be made at www.parkrideflyusa.com/ntaconv/ – just make sure to enter the coupon code "NTACONV" to receive the discount.
For everyday travel, NTA members can get a 10 percent discount at participating airports. Reservations should be made through www.parkrideflyusa.com/nta/ and you’ll need to enter the coupon code "NTA" when you make your reservation online.
Deadline Extended to Oct. 8 to Promote Your Company at World Travel Market
NTA will be exhibiting at World Travel Market this year and would like to help your company gain exposure to international tour operators during the event. For only $75 you can purchase a listing on a flash drive that will be distributed to as many as 300 tour operators.
The flash drive will contain a company listing with a hyperlink to your company Web site. It provides a great way for you to continue to reach inbound operators, since the flash drive will have enough space for anyone to keep and reuse it often.
Secure your space on this useful promotional tool today by clicking here. You’ll be prompted for your company ID to activate your listing, which can be purchased through Oct. 8. To find your company ID, check the e-mail you received with the headlines for this week’s Tuesday articles or contact NTA Headquarters.
If you are interested in attending World Travel Market, NTA has two openings for member companies that wish to share its booth space. Contact NTA Director of Membership Development Christina Horsley for more information on these opportunities.
Convention Sponsorships Available: Hospitality Suite and Fresh Fruit Booth
In search of a way to reach your peers who will be in Pittsburgh for the NTA Annual Convention? There are a couple of great sponsorship options that could help you get your name before every delegate:
- The Chairman’s Hospitality Suite Party will take place Wednesday following the final night festivities from Midnight to 2 a.m. For $5,000, you can sponsor the event and make a final impression on delegates right before they leave Pittsburgh.
- Convention days can be long so help give your fellow attendees an energy boost by serving fresh fruit. Sponsor the Fresh Fruit Booth for $10,000 and you’ll have the chance to socialize and talk business with delegates as they pass by and refuel – they’ll be sure to thank you for the healthy snack.
Both sponsorships come with silver-level benefits, which include booth space on the Convention Mall floor. Contact NTA Vice President of Sales and Sponsorship Karla DiNardo at 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4232 for more information. Also, don’t forget to check out the 2008 Sponsorship Guide for additional opportunities.
TIA Marketing Outlook Forum Coming Up
TIA will hold its Marketing Outlook Forum in Portland, Oregon, Oct. 27-30. This year’s event will feature industry leaders addressing how current issues like the economy, increased airfares and how rising and falling gas prices are changing travel behaviors.
More than 65 speakers are scheduled, including Lakshman Achuthan, Economic Cycle Research Institute; Caroline Beteta, California Travel and Tourism; Chuck Bowling, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino; Joe D’Alessandro, San Francisco CVB; Barbara Higgins, United Airlines; Bruce Himelstein, The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company; Barbara Leflein, Latino Life Research; Milton Pedraza, The Luxury Institute; Gary Sain, Orlando/Orange County CVB; and Peter Yesawich, YPartnership.
For more details on the event, including registration info, go to www.tia.org/mof.
Get Your Fam Trips Posted at NTA Online
Do you have an upcoming Fam trip that you need to promote? If so, send that information to NTA to be added to the Member Fam page of its Web site, which includes line listings in bullet point form with details on upcoming Fams.
To get your trip posted, e-mail the following information to fams@NTAstaff.com:
The page is updated often and listings will be taken down after the Fam has occurred.
The October issue of Courier is your ultimate Convention planning resource. It contains stories with information on everything you will need to get prepared for NTA’s first green Convention. In addition to 60 pages of Convention coverage, you can read destination pieces on the Great Plains states, Central and South America and Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.
UPCOMING DEADLINES:
January Issue – Ad Space: Oct. 29; Editorial: Past
Sightseeing Cruises; Cruise Ships; Great Lakes Loop (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Ontario and Wisconsin); British Isles and Ireland; Alaska; California; Nevada; Oregon; Washington.
February Issue – Ad Space: Nov. 26; Editorial: Oct. 1
Casinos and Gaming; Atlantic Coast (Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia); Africa; Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan; British Columbia; Idaho; Montana; North Dakota; South Dakota; Wyoming.
March Issue – Ad Space: Jan. 5; Editorial: Nov. 5
2009 Tour Operator Spring Meet Preview; Golf Resorts & Destinations; Toronto and Niagara Region (New York and Canada); Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky; Scandinavia; Arizona; Colorado; New Mexico; Utah.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Alaska Wild Berry Products – Amish Country of Northern Indiana/Elkhart County CVB – Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism – The Berkely Group (TPP) – Beverly Garland’s Holiday Inn/Universal City – Greater Birmingham CVB – Boyds Bear Country – Chase Paymentech – Empire State Building Observatory – FamilySearch at Temple Square – Foxwoods Resort Casino – GE Money – Historic Temple Square LDS Church – Holiday Inn PCMR – Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum – ITS Design & Printing – John G. Shedd Aquarium – Maid of the Mist Corporation – Mohegan Sun – MotorCity Casino – North Dakota Tourism Division – Philadelphia CVB – Philadelphia Museum of Art – VisitPittsburgh – Rapid City CVB – Greater Summerville/Dorchester Co. Tourism Council – Virginia Beach CVB – Yankee Candle Company Inc.
Click here for more information on the 2009 Editorial Calendar.
| Don’t forget to register for the 2008 NTA Annual Convetion, to be held Nov. 15-19 in Pittsburgh. |