February 2012 NTA News
NTA News is a compilation of stories from Tuesday newsletter, which NTA members receive each week.
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February 2012 Top Stories
Industry & Association News
NTA Vice Chair Mark Hoffmann Reacts to UMA's Motorcoach Expo
NTA Membership Directory Deadline: March 31!
Tour Operators: Here's How to Get Your Next Big Idea
Leadership Team Set for 2012
NTA Government Relations Update
People Are Talking. Will You Join the Conversation?
Keep Up with Changes, says About Tour's Jenifer Robertson
‘What Not to Wear' When Traveling
6 Types of Customers: Craft Your Pitch Accordingly
NTA Vice Chair Mark Hoffmann Reacts to UMA's Motorcoach Expo
Travel Exchange, which combines NTA's Convention with UMA's Motorcoach Expo, was created to expand the business opportunities for members of both organizations. After attending the UMA Expo in Long Beach, California, over the weekend, NTA Vice Chair Mark Hoffmann, CTP, called the new show concept "visionary." Here's what he experienced at UMA's Expo.
Don't miss the opportunity to discover how Travel Exchange—Jan. 19-23, 2013—can work for you. Registration opens April 10! Find out more about Travel Exchange at www.NTAonline.com/Convention.
To join, call +1.859.264.6540 or 800.692.8886, e-mail us, or visit NTAonline.com.
NTA Membership Directory Deadline: March 31!
NTA is people—that's where our value lies. NTA specializes in helping travel professionals, like you, build their businesses, expand their markets, find new ideas and, most importantly, develop relationships with each other. When people network, share expertise and form partnerships, their businesses can grow exponentially.
Put the power of numbers behind your business. Click here to see why you belong at NTA.
Join NTA by March 31 to be included in the 2012–2013 Membership Directory! To join, call +1.859.264.6540 or 800.692.8886, e-mail us, or click here for a membership application.
Nearly 80 percent of NTA tour operators say they use the Membership Directory in their day-to-day jobs. Want to stand out on the page and catch their eye?
Tour operators, you can use this opportunity to reach other tour operators you may be selling to. And tour suppliers/DMOs, here's how to stand out among your competitors on the page.
Interested in learning how to enhance your listing or book a display ad in NTA's annual Membership Directory? E-mail NTA Services Inc., visit http://www.ntaservicesinc.com/ or call 859.264.6559 today!
Tour Operators: Here's How to Get Your Next Big Idea
If you're looking for new places to take your business, fresh
perspective on where you are now, or just a sounding board for the ideas that are bouncing around in your head, be sure to come to Contact. Contact, Aug. 16-18 in San Diego, California, is designed to foster operator-to-operator conversations and networking, whether in a seminar, at a reception or on one of the sightseeing and Fam tours. For three days, you'll be sitting next to and among people who know what it's like to walk in your shoes. This is your time to connect with them and take advantage of this exclusive knowledge bank, but only if you become an NTA member!
To join, call +1.859.264.6540 or 800.692.8886, e-mail us, or click here for a membership application. After joining, register for Contact, then:
Register for a sightseeing tour.
Register for a pre- and/or post-Contact Fam tour.
You may find the spark for your next big idea. See you there!
[Tour suppliers and DMOs: Click here to see how to attend Contact.]
NTA is a member-focused association that relies on volunteers to help lead the organization. The NTA Board of Directors receives input from eight groups—committees and task forces—that give voice to member needs, concerns and ideas. Together these groups comprise the Leadership Team, most of which convened in conjunction with the Feb. 3-6 board meeting in Spokane, Washington.
To see the list of board members, click here. For the list of committees and members of the Leadership Team, click here.
NTA Government Relations Update
Giving members a stronger voice on Capitol Hill, NTA will again team with the Southeast Tourism Society to produce the Grassroots Congressional Travel Summit, May 8 to 10, in Washington, D.C. In addition to education and Hill visits, the Summit will include a Congressional Tourism Leaders Luncheon, a federal agency exhibition, a Congressional reception on Capitol Hill, and a luncheon focused on tourism marketing and financial strategies.
The past month was a busy one for NTA members and staff focused on government relations. Two topics in particular warrant your attention:
NTA Hails FAA Legislation
NTA praised Congress for reauthorizing long-term funding for the Federal Aviation Administration—and President Barack Obama for signing the $63 billion bill into law.
"This legislation will create a safer air transportation system with greater capacity," said Lisa Simon, NTA president. "It funds much-needed airport improvements and expansions across the country, plus our air traffic control system can now be modernized with NextGen technology."
NTA has placed a high priority on passage of this legislation since 2008, following the expiration of the last long-term bill funding FAA.
"Passage of a four-year bill provides stability," said Simon. "This is a great start toward increasing the United States' global competitiveness, and we look forward to the next step: improving intermodal access to the nation's airports."
Association Supports Amendment to MAP 21
NTA joined with at least 40 travel organizations and signed a letter to U.S. Senator Mark Begich in support of his amendment to Senate bill 1813, the "Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act" (MAP 21). The amendment will help ensure that state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations will work with local travel leaders on long-term transportation plans that support economic growth by enabling travel and tourism. The amendment will also allow STOs and DMOs to better advocate for important travel-related transportation projects, including intermodal connections, safety improvements, congestion relief, capacity enhancements and the maintenance of scenic byways.
People Are Talking. Will You Join the Conversation?
Right now, NTA members are actively:
- discussing how to handle the influx of Chinese tourists to North America (on NTA's Linkedin)
- talking about the best ways to work Travel Exchange next year (on NTA's Facebook page and @NTANews on Twitter)
- learning how to Do Big Things on the NTA blog.
NTA members tap into the collective knowledge of their association—in person at Business Builder events and virtually all year round. Jump into the exchange—you belong here!
Keep Up with Changes, says About Tour's Jenifer Robertson
When student groups visit Chicago, they might be following Jenifer Robertson's itinerary. Robertson is co-owner of About Tours in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, a receptive operator for student groups coming to the Windy City.
Robertson and partner Courtney Ashley have been in business since 1994, and, a former teacher herself, Robertson sees a changing student traveler.
"Students today are much more sophisticated, and many are well-traveled," she said. "They also are constantly connected to the Internet."
That connectivity can deter from the experience when students on the coach have earphones on and tune out the tour guide and the sights. Some teachers ban electronic devices entirely or collect them in the morning and return them in the evening. Robertson tries another approach.
"We try to incorporate the devices if possible," she said. "There are some great tours that can be downloaded."
Another challenge About Tours faces is reduced school budgets, which can mean shorter trips with fewer high-cost items. Robertson and her staff have negotiated excellent hotel rates, though, and have found other ways to lower costs without cheapening the trip.
"We have an Ethnic Treasure Hunt tour where the students find answers to clues provided by the tour guide and are rewarded with treats from different neighborhoods," she said. "We also do dance lessons and take students to business owners who speak to the group and give them samples, including a local toffee and popcorn shop."
Looking ahead, Robertson is confident that student travel will continue to grow, and that parents will not deprive their children of a travel experience offered by their school. She has also found that once her company has provided students an enriching and unique experience in Chicago, the school will use About's services year after year. Robertson believes that the student travel market, as with other types, will demand more unique experiences and activities.
And while student travelers have become more sophisticated, Robertson knows firsthand what makes educational trips appealing to kids. Years ago, after her son had completed a sixth-grade class trip to Springfield, Robertson asked how she could improve the product.
"He said we should just take out all the Lincoln stuff and go straight to the go-cart place."
‘What Not to Wear' When Traveling
It's one thing to watch a pair of TV fashionistas dismantle a stranger's wardrobe on the TLC show "What Not to Wear." But when an expert gives advice about what's in your suitcase, you might want to take notice.
Frommer's offers blunt advice about clothes and accessories that, while functional, are too funky for travel. The list of style stumbles includes fanny packs, all-white tennis shoes, full-out camouflage and studded accessories. See the slide show here.
While you might be hesitant to advise clients not to wear socks with sandals, this article is worth reading to keep yourself from being photographed for the next no-no slide show.
6 Types of Customers: Craft Your Pitch Accordingly
It might not always be fair to pigeon-hole people, but if it helps you deal with clients better, let's bring in the pigeons.
"Inside the Mind of Your Buyers," an article by Jane Porter for Entrepreneur.com, examines a half-dozen ways that clients are motivated. When you figure out what moves the needle for a particular person, you increase your chances of closing the sale.
- The detail-oriented client needs all the facts. This buyer is well-informed and not necessarily interested in building a relationship.
- The unsure buyer doesn't know what he wants. He needs you to ask questions and guide him toward the most appropriate solution to his needs.
- The relationship-minded client cares about making a connection. Put your interpersonal skills to work and show that you care about serving the individual, not just the account.
- The prestige-minded client cares about your other customers. It's important to let her know that you have well-known, reputable clients doing business with you.
- A client focused on sure-fire service needs policies and promises. This buyer wants to know if you can guarantee tip-top service after the sale.
- The quick-close client needs to reach a conclusion fast. If you see indications of impatience, cut to the bottom line before he loses interest.
To get additional details on dealing with different client motivations, see the article.
Join NTA today! To join, call +1.859.264.6540 or 800.692.8886, e-mail us, or visit NTAonline.com.