January 2012 NTA News
NTA News is a compilation of stories from Tuesday newsletter, which NTA members receive each week.
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January 2012 Top Stories
Industry & Association News
Convention '11 Recap: Photos, Videos and Firsts
Could Your NTA Membership Be Free?
NTA Member Directory Deadline
2013 Convention: New Name, More Attendees
Meet with 100-plus NTA Tour Operators in Warm, Sunny San Diego!
NTA and ASTA Launch U.S. Hispanic Initiative
U.S. Inbound Travel on Pace for Record-setting Year
6 Reasons Your Best Employees Will Leave
Convention '11 Recap: Photos, Videos and Firsts
Convention '11 in Las Vegas was full of must-attend events and lots of member-to-member networking, business and fun. You can experience a little of Convention '11 in the Week in Review video. Unfortunately, there's no way we can replicate the feel of it (you'll have to attend to experience that), but here are some of the highlights:
NTA hosted its first Faith-based Tourism Leaders Forum during Convention '11. More than 60 industry professionals gathered to discuss trends, challenges and opportunities within this burgeoning marketplace. Strategies, insights and ideas were initiated in small-group discussions then shared with the entire forum.
Also a first at Convention, a panel of travel and tourism officials from the North American region shared the strategies, successes and frustrations faced by the countries they represent and by the region as a whole. The panel included the following officials:
- Isabel Hill, Acting Director, United States Office of Travel & Tourism Industries
- Ricardo Anaya, Under Secretary of Tourism for Mexico
- Hugh Riley, Secretary General, Caribbean Tourism Organization
- Pierre Santoni, member, Canadian Tourism Commission Advisory Board; Senior Director, Via Rail Canada
The panel, moderated by Steve Hartman of CBS News, spoke on Dec. 7 before a large and engaged Convention luncheon audience. The group also spoke in a press conference from the Convention; you can read one of the reports on it here.
One of the most compelling characters at Convention '11 was Park Ranger Shelton Johnson. His talk during the America's National Parks Luncheon was both informative and inspiring, and something we just had to share. To see Ranger Johnson's presentation, click the link here.
And one more thing: We have photos for you ... 908 photos to be exact ... and you'll find them on our Facebook page. They include shots from everything-the Icebreaker, the Totally Awesome '80s Party, the Convention floor and more.
We hope you'll join us January 19-23, 2013, in Orlando, Florida, for the first Travel Exchange as NTA's Convention and UMA's Motorcoach EXPO come together for an event like no other.
To join, call +1.859.264.6540 or 800.692.8886, e-mail us, or visit NTAonline.com.
Could Your NTA Membership Be Free?
"Thanks to the NTA Corporate Partner programs, my NTA membership doesn't cost a thing. I save so much through the programs like Fed Ex, that I reap more from my member benefits than what I'm paying in dues. It definitely is a win-win!"
-Donna Cappa, Tulalip Resort Casino & Spa
NTA members receive valuable, exclusive discounts from NTA Corporate Partners on payroll and credit card processing, insurance, shipping, office supplies and more. When you become an NTA member, you can take full advantage of these Corporate Partner programs *:
Payroll Processing
ADP (for U.S. members only) offers:
- A 20 percent discount on payroll processing costs
- FREE month of payroll processing services
- Waived one-time setup fee
Insurance
Aon Affinity Berkely Travel offers:
- NTA tour operators can receive up to 35 percent compensation on Travel Protection Plan sales.
- NTA tour operator members may qualify for premium credits as high as 15 percent off already low NTA member rates on insurance.
Learn more about Aon Affinity Berkely
Credit Card Processing
Capital One offers:
- No set-up or underwriting fees
- Low Visa/MasterCard discount rates
- Authorization for Discover, American Express, JCB, Diners Club and major debit brands
- Ability to utilize your existing equipment and interface with major POS systems
- No annual or compliance fees
- 24-hour comprehensive terminal support
Shipping
(U.S. members participating in the FedEx Corporate Partner program save an average of $513 a year on shipping!)
FedEx (for U.S. members only) offers:
- Up to 26 percent off select FedEx Express® U.S. services
- Up to 20 percent off select FedEx Express international services
- Up to 12 percent off select FedEx Ground® services
- Up to 10 percent off select FedEx Home Delivery® services
Office Supplies
Staples offers:
- Discounts on offices supplies
- Multiple ordering channels: online, fax or phone
- A 10 percent credit on copy services provided at our 1,100 retail stores located throughout the United States
- Computer and technology supplies, furniture and more
U.S. Members: Learn more about Staples
Canadian Members: Learn more about Staples
*Not all benefits/discounts are available for all members. Please review the information and disclaimers for each partner. These discounts are offered through NTA Corporate Partners, not NTA.
Join NTA by March 31 to be included in the 2012 Membership Directory!
To join, call +1.859.264.6540 or 800.692.8886, e-mail us, or visit NTAonline.com.
2013 Convention: New Name, More Attendees
Starting in January 2013, NTA is combining our annual Convention with UMA's Motorcoarch EXPO to bring you a travel industry event like no other: one show that puts the full spectrum of travel buyers and sellers on the same floor. And the name of that show? Travel Exchange.
Travel Exchange brings together:
- Itinerary designers and tour product developers
- Equipment manufacturers and operators
- Destinations, hotels, restaurants and attractions that delight and serve the clients along their way
At Travel Exchange you'll get what NTA has offered each year:
- one-on-one business appointments between buyers and sellers
- a full slate of industry-focused education
- fun networking opportunities with the movers and shakers of our industry
PLUS access to a trade show floor of more potential partners and industry resources and even more networking and partnering opportunities.
For tour operators: Combining these shows puts all the components of your business in one place.
For tour suppliers/DMOs: You'll have access to a whole new community of buyers.
Mark your calendars now for Travel Exchange 2013, 2014 and 2015:
- Orlando, Florida, Jan. 19-23, 2013
- Los Angeles, California, Feb. 16-20, 2014
- New Orleans, Louisiana, Jan. 17-21, 2015
Meet with 100-plus NTA Tour Operators in Warm, Sunny San Diego
Building on the huge success of its inaugural event in 2011, NTA's Contact '12 (August 16-18 in San Diego, California) will be a must-attend event!
Contact offers tour operators intimate networking events, targeted education, expanded partnering opportunities and sightseeing adventures all around the destination. Join your colleagues for a fun escape that is designed to enrich and delight you.
Judee Kaplan of Select Travel Service and a Contact '11 attendee said, "Contact was one of the best conferences I attended in 2011. There were terrific networking opportunities, very interesting and relevant educational sessions, plus interesting sightseeing tours and evening events where you could relax and enjoy spending time with fellow NTA members. This was a chance to contact members and explore how we could work together. The name explains it all, Contact was great!"
Although Contact is for tour operators, tour suppliers and DMOS have the opportunity to network and do business with 100-plus NTA tour operators by being a Contact '12 sponsor. For more information about sponsoring and attending NTA's Contact '12, contact Melisa-Beth Rooke by e-mail or phone (+1.859.264.6561) today!
NTA and ASTA Launch U.S. Hispanic Initiative
An NTA-ASTA task force, chaired by Olga Ramudo, will work to propel members of the two associations deeper into the U.S. Hispanic market, expected to reach a purchasing power of $1.3 trillion in the next three years. Ramudo, president of Express Travel in Miami and a member of both NTA and ASTA, explained two positive products of the joint project during a joint news conference in Las Vegas.
"This initiative will promote the growth of tourism among Hispanics and, at the same time, it will create jobs in our industry," Ramudo said. "I am thrilled that the two most important travel organizations, ASTA and NTA, have recognized the importance of the Hispanic market and are joining forces to address it."
In forming the task force, the two associations have two goals in mind, said Lisa Simon, CTP, NTA president.
"One of our goals is to research the travel needs of these citizens and determine if they share distinct interests and preferences," Simon said. "Then secondly, we want to educate our members so they can best meet the needs of U.S. Hispanics."
Education began on Jan. 25, when ASTA hosted a Webinar titled "Understanding the U.S. Hispanic Traveler." In the Webinar researcher Laura Mandala examined the travel behaviors of Hispanic travelers and explained how travel professionals can meet their needs. The Webinar was free to NTA members.
U.S. Inbound Travel on Pace for Record-setting Year
International visitors to the United States spent more than $13 billion on travel and tourism-related activities during October, an increase of 13 percent over the same month in 2010. The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that the October increase put the country's travel and tourism-related exports on pace to exceed $152 billion for 2011, which would break the record previously set in 2008, before the onset of global economic slowdown.
From January through October, international visitors spent an estimated $126.8 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services, an increase of 14 percent when compared to the same period in 2010. For more information, see the chart below or the full release.
6 Reasons Your Best Employees Will Leave
When your business grows from start-up to established, your staff shoulders the change. Sometimes employees struggle to adapt, leading them to part ways with the company they helped shape, according to business author Jeff Haden. While the search for a bigger paycheck often leads employees to look elsewhere, there may be other reasons they depart.
In a story on Inc.com, Haden explores six (non-salary) reasons your best employees will leave you:
- As the business has grown, so has the distance between you and your staff.
- The culture shifted from stimulating startup to constrained corporate.
- Now that initial growth has slowed, the sky is no longer the limit.
- Because of their specific skills, certain employees are handcuffed to repetitive tasks.
- A larger staff adds layers of management, with long-time employees no longer reporting to you.
- With more employees, your chances of bad hiring decisions go up, bringing morale down.
While no business is guaranteed to lose key employees, none are immune to the consequences of growth. To flesh out the symptoms and get ideas for remedies, read the full story.
Join NTA today! To join, call +1.859.264.6540 or 800.692.8886, e-mail us, or visit NTAonline.com.