News from NTA- July 2010
Welcome to the July edition of NTA News – your source for information on NTA activities as well as travel industry news. This issue has stories on LinkedIn, recharging your business in a recovering economy and how to make 45 in-person sales calls for under $3,000.
With the most diverse membership of any travel association and a proven ability to expand markets for our members, NTA is the place for travel professionals looking to increase business. Contact NTA’s Lori Rempe to learn more about membership and the programs and services covered in this newsletter. Or, call us at 800.682,8886, ext. 3579 (U.S. and Canada) or +1.859.219.3579. If you’d prefer not to receive this update, please let us know.
“Because of NTA’s international inbound initiatives, St. Louis received 20 new bookings from just one NTA member. The business generated from just one tour operator more than pays for my annual membership.”
 | -Renee Eichelberger |
Article Headlines:
LinkedIn 101 – The ABCs of Setting Up a LinkedIn Account
How to Make 45 In-person Sales Presentations for Under $3,000
Another Country Approved for U.S. Visa Waiver Program
Senator Says Travel to Cuba from U.S. Could Be Open by 2011
MONTAGE Brings Cultures Together to Expand Markets
NTA Releases 2011 Event Schedule
How to Recharge a Business in a Recovering Economy
Whether you are looking for a qualified employee or a new batch of customers, LinkedIn offers the network for you. LinkedIn has over 60 million members in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. A new member joins LinkedIn approximately every second.
If you want to become a member of one of the most popular social networks in the world, NTA has created an easy How To document to walk you through the basics of LinkedIn. This document is part of a series of helpful How To resources developed exclusively for NTA members.
Want tools like this at your fingertips 24/7 to help grow you business? Contact Lori Rempe and find out how you can join NTA today!
How to Make 45 In-person Sales Presentations for Under $3,000
Tweaks to NTA's Convention format opened an average 40 percent more available appointment times for tour suppliers and DMOs to meet with operators! That means ...
A supplier can expect to average about 50 appointments; a DMO can expect to average about 40.
How does that translate into hard dollars? Let's do the math:
Supplier/DMO Convention Costs (US dollars):
Registration (early-bird fee) $1,090
Hotel (max 6 nights @ $159 avg.) $ 954
Flight (average cost) $ 500
Incidentals (meals, cabs, etc.) $ 200
Total Investment $2,744
Assuming that the average seller has 45 in-person appointments while they're at Convention (and that's not even taking into account the contacts you make outside of the business floor), here's what that kind of face-to-face business would cost without Convention:
Cost of in-person visits (US dollars):
Flights (45 flights @ $250 per) $11,250
Hotels (45 nights @ $100 per) $ 4,500
Meals (45 meals @ $50 per) $ 2,250
Total Cost $18,000
Now add the cost in time and energy to make all of these connections!
The Bottom Line 
Convention: 5 days out of the office, 45 in-person appointments and the ability to networking with the top travel professionals in the industry for $2,744.
Doing it on your own: 45 days out of the office for 45 in-person appointments for $18,000.
With attendees from every state, Canadian province and some 40 countries, plus access to the World Religious Travel Association Expo at no additional cost, NTA's Convention offers the most diverse buying and selling opportunities of any industry trade show.
"NTA is where I get new business," says Norfolk (Va.) CVB's Melissa Hopper. "Unlike other shows, I met people at NTA I wouldn't meet anywhere else."
Put NTA and Convention ‘10 to work for you. Contact Lori Rempe today and find out how you can join NTA and register for Convention '10! Want more information? Follow us on Twitter.
Another Country Approved for U.S. Visa Waiver Program
Starting in mid-April, Greek citizens will be able to visit the United States without visas due to its recent acceptance into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. NTA congratulates its member, the Greek National Tourist Organization, on this accomplishment.
Greek citizens will be required to apply for an Electronic System Travel Authorization through the Web-based system before traveling to the United States, like travelers from the 35 other nations already participating in the program.
In accordance with the designation process, the Department of Homeland Security determined that Greece complies with key security and information-sharing requirements-such as enhanced law enforcement and security-related data sharing with the United States; timely reporting of lost and stolen passports; and the maintenance of high counterterrorism, law enforcement, border control, aviation and document security standards. In turn, Greek citizens will be permitted to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa.
For more information about the Visa Waiver Program or Electronic System Travel Authorization, visit http://www.dhs.gov/ or esta.cbp.dhs.gov.
Travel from U.S. to Cuba Could Be Open by 2011
Senator Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota) has expressed confidence that the current bill (S 428), which would open U.S. travel to Cuba, could meet the 60-vote threshold required in the U.S. Senate this year. Are you prepared to take advantage of this new market?
At the recent U.S.-Cuba Travel Summit, March 24-26, NTA members and representatives had the chance to dialog with top Cuban officials and local travel specialists on the state of tourism and opportunity for investment in Cuba.
"I had private face time with the CEOs of the top six Cuban travel companies," said Phil Sheldon with Florida-based Hanns Ebensten Travel and Alyson Adventures. "There will clearly be challenges on both sides once travel opens up, but I feel like a 747 waiting to take off-revving up the engines and waiting for clearance to release the brakes! Once travel is open for all Americans, I want to be ready, and now I know that I am."
NTA will have more information on how to prepare your company for this soon-to-be burgeoning market as it comes available. Watch NTAonline.com for updates. The U.S.-Cuba Travel Summit was presented by Alamar Associates in association with NTA and sponsored by USTOA.
MONTAGE Brings Cultures Together to Expand Markets 
On April 14, 150 attendees from 14 countries arrived in Seville, Spain, for networking, product development and education at MONTAGE, NTA's global gathering of buyers and sellers.
"We really enjoyed the Montage meeting in Seville, and look forward to the one next year in Aberdeen," said Susan Rosenberry of Island in the Sun Cruises & Tours Inc. in
Stevensville, Md. "For companies like us that do so much business outside of North America this makes NTA even more valuable to us."
See who else attended here.
Would you like to be part of this global event? Mark your calendars now for MONTAGE 2011, April 12-14, in Aberdeen, Scotland!
2011 Meeting Schedule Has Something for Everyone
Broaden your network, enhance your professional development and expand your markets at these NTA events in 2011:
- MONTAGE will be held in Aberdeen, Scotland, April 12-14, in conjunction with the Visit Scotland Expo. Two shows in one trip!
- CONTACT, NTA's newest business-building event-a tour operator event where business will be combined with three educational tracks: CEO/owner, sales and marketing, and operations. You pick the track that is most beneficial to you. The inaugural conference is being planned for Rhode Island in August ... stay tuned to NTAonline.com for specific dates!
- Convention ‘11 will be held in conjunction with the World Religious Travel Association Dec. 5-9 in Las Vegas.
Big changes to come in 2013! Plans are underway to hold NTA's Convention and the United Motorcoach Association's Expo together in the first quarter of 2013. This collaboration of NTA, UMA and WRTA will bring you face-to-face with more than 2,000 buyers!
Do you see a meeting or two that suits your business needs in the future? Join NTA today and start planning your business development strategies for 2011 and beyond.
How to Recharge a Business in a Recovering Economy 
Surveys show that people are traveling or they intend to travel, and tour operators are reporting a growth in 2010 business, in part due to "pent-up demand," said NTA President Lisa Simon, CTP, in her keynote address at the Southeast Tourism Society Spring Meeting in March.
Simon gave attendees five tips on how to recharge a business in the recovering economy:
- Nurture the old- Take care of the customers and business partners you already have.
- Build the new-Look into new niche markets and trends.
- Differentiate yourself-Showcase what you do that no one else does.
- Get involved-Volunteer or become a leader in the industry to gain notoriety.
- Be Smart-There is no excuse in today's connected world to not be "in the know." Read newsletters, magazines, newspapers, blogs, etc. to stay on top of the news and trends.
Additionally, Simon shared how NTA is helping effect change in the industry through grassroots efforts, work in Washington D.C. to support passage of the Travel Promotion Act and newly introduced TRIP Act, and the Tourism USA center in Shanghai, which will open in May.
NTA members receive information on research and trends like this in The Trend, NTA's monthly research e-newsletter.