May 2011 NTA News
NTA News is a compilation of stories from Tuesday newsletter, which NTA members receive each week.
Questions about NTA? Contact us today. We'd love to have you join us.
May 2011 Top Stories
Industry & Association News
Three Reasons to Attend Convention '11 in Vegas
We've Moved
Industry Reps Connect with D.C. Legislative Leaders During National Travel and Tourism Week
Miss Spring Meet? Come to Contact.
Washington State's New Tourism Alliance Holds First Meeting
Surviving the Recession: 'Hope is Not a Strategy.'
Asian Markets Predicted to Lead Record U.S. Visitation Numbers
Reach 20,000 Group Leaders
Business Tips
6 Tips for Creating an Effective Social Media Program
Why You Should Love (and Participate in) Twitter Chats
Make Sure You're Right on the Map
6 Ways to Keep Your Facebook Fans Engaged
Three Reasons to Attend Convention '11 in Vegas
"Great networking. Great people. Awesome camaraderie and good business potential."
"We found the marketplace extremely effective in finding new ideas."
"Best appointments I have had at NTA in years."
"I walked away from the show with new business that I likely wouldn't have gotten otherwise."
"I love the Destination Pavilion."
"I had a lot of appointments with people that were new to my destination and my products."
"It was nice to get new business instead of snatching clients from our competition."
—member comments from Convention '10
NTA's annual all-member Convention heads to Las Vegas this year to bring together the most diverse group of buyers and sellers of any travel industry show. Did you miss last year? Here's a recap.
With its all-inclusive format and proven business-building design, NTA's Convention has been described as "a business meeting extraordinaire, designed to maximize the opportunities for networking."
This year's Convention offers three important reasons for attending:
- NTA members. The caliber of NTA members and their dedication to the industry make each Convention a valuable business-building destination. And, they know how to have fun!
- Business Opportunities. The all-member, all-access format and new Destination Pavilion mean you can network all day and well into the evenings if you want to.
- A great host city. Thanks to the energy of our fabulous host city (Las Vegas!), there's no better place to be than Convention in December.
It's a powerful combination, and we can't wait to see how our members shape their Annual Convention this year.
We'd love to have you there, too! Check out the Convention Web site for the schedule, registration information, networking events, educational opportunities and more.
Join NTA and join us in Las Vegas. (Tour operators: you can attend Convention '11 for only $99.)
We've Moved.
NTA HQ has moved! Add our new information to your contact list:
NTA
101 Prosperous Place, Ste. 350
Lexington, KY 40509
+1.859.264.6540 | Staff directory
Our e-mail addresses and Web site URL are the same; so is our toll-free number (for use in the U.S. and Canada): 800.682.8886.
During a walk-through of the new space, NTA board members joined with staff for a team photo:
Front row (L-R): NTA staff members Ashley Horton, Allison Johnson, Britanny Metcalf, Kate McLean, Melisa-Beth Rooke, Kami Risk
Seated (L-R): Steve Richer, CTP; Board members Greg Takehara, Nick Calderazzo, Jorge Cazenave, Michele Michalewicz, CTP, Jennifer Sutcliffe; NTA President Lisa Simon, CTP; Board member Paul Nakamoto; NTA Chair & CEO Cathy Greteman; Board members Mahen Sanghrajka, Jim Reddekopp Jr., Cathleen Johnson, Carolyn Boss, Sherri Guiborat, Greg Eckhart
Standing (L-R): NTA staff members Paula Stephenson, Penny Whitman, Pat Henderson, Katey Pease, Dana Deptola, Susan McDaniel, Cheryl Adams, Bob Rouse, Lori Rempi, Lee Carter, Cathy Boyd, Doug Rentz, Bob Livesay, Ken Goode, Lauren-Ashley Pope, Todd Probus, Celeste Moore, Haybina Hao, Catherine Prather, Kevin Wright, Karla DiNardo
We've shared photos of our new digs on Facebook. If you're ever in Lexington, come by and see us!
Industry Reps Connect with D.C. Legislative Leaders During National Travel and Tourism Week
NTA and the Southeast Tourism Society celebrated National Travel and Tourism Week by hosting the Grassroots Congressional Summit for Travel in Washington, D.C., on May 11 and 12.
Over the two days, a delegation of NTA members met with other travel associations, government agencies, cultural organizations and legislators to learn about and discuss issues that affect our industry.
"People dealing with travel and tourism every day were able to meet with the federal legislators who hold the keys to vital industry issues in Congress," said NTA President Lisa Simon. "This really put some meat in the middle of National Travel and Tourism Week."
Summit attendees participated in:
- a Congressional tourism leadership luncheon, highlighted by remarks from Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), co-chair of the Congressional Travel & Tourism Caucus, and Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), sponsor of the Travel Regional Investment Partnership Act.
- an information exhibition in Dirksen Senate Office Building.
- an evening reception for attendees and members of Congress.
- a day of visits on Capitol Hill to speak with legislative leaders on tourism issues.
As always, thank you to our sponsors:
Sports Leisure Vacations—Wednesday Luncheon
The Group Tour Company—Notebooks
Miss Spring Meet? Come to Contact.
As the direct descendant of the popular NTA Tour Operator Spring Meet, Contact may be in its inaugural year, but it's not really "new." Think of it more as the next generation of Spring Meet. Contact still offers a resort setting (beautiful Newport, Rhode Island) with programming that affords plenty of opportunity for valuable operator-to-operator networking and partnering.
What Contact adds to that winning combination is a more targeted slate of seminars designed specifically for:
1. CEOs/Owners
2. Operations/Product Development
3. Sales & Marketing
Bring additional members of your team to Contact to take advantage of all three tracks and take home three times the professional development for your company.
Tour operators: Don't miss what's shaping up to be the professional event of the summer. Become a member of NTA now to join your fellow operators at the industry show where operators connect, discuss, collaborate, develop—Contact.
NTA member suppliers and destinations can attend this operator-exclusive event by sponsoring.
Washington State's New Tourism Alliance Holds First Meeting
Washington state's tourism office will close at the end of June 2011, and a new organization, the Washington Tourism Alliance, will continue the state's tourism marketing efforts. At the new organization's first meeting in Seattle in April NTA members were among the nearly 500 stakeholders from Washington's tourism industry who turned out to voice opinion and support for the newly formed alliance. Greg Eckhart, DMO representative on the NTA Board of Directors, was there on behalf of the association. Other NTA members in attendance included representatives from Shilo Inn, Red Lion Hotels, Ride the Ducks of Seattle and Snohomish County Tourism.
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Addressing the group were industry leaders Mike Gallagher of City Pass and Ron Peck from Alaska Travel Industry Association. Each offered suggestions and strong models for Washington as the alliance develops a plan to promote tourism in their state without the tax dollars typically relied upon by DMOs and CVBs.
"Once the state's tourism office closes, the alliance hopes to take some of the assets created by the tourism office and use them for promotion and marketing," said Eckhart, tourism manager (USA and Canada) for Travel Portland.
"The meeting had an air of solidarity and a resolved, positive approach to the challenge," he said. "The group wants to use the existing Web site and other media to create a streamlined transition of the brand and message."
In January, The NTA Board of Directors approved a resolution discouraging states-including Washington-from reducing or eliminating funding for tourism offices, pointing to a potential loss of tourism's economic benefits.
Tourism is a key component of Washington's economy, generating:
- 143,000 jobs
- $15.2 billion in spending
- $992 million in local and state tax revenue
Eckhart came away from the meeting gratified. "It was great to see a united industry that has formed an alliance governed by the tourism industry," he said. "There's a process that includes membership dues on several approachable levels."
To learn about membership and the key industry stakeholders in this alliance, visit the Washington Tourism Alliance Web site.
Surviving the Recession: ‘Hope is Not a Strategy.' 
For the last two years, Phil Bruno has been on a journey. After working in the tourism industry for decades, the national speaker found himself in front of audiences who were mired in a sluggish economy. After deciding that today's travelers are more focused on value, Bruno began searching the country for destinations that use creative ways to survive and thrive. He's found more than two dozen sites that are doing more than just riding out the downturn.
"Hope is not a strategy," Bruno said. "A lot of people aren't waiting until the recession is over. They're finding success now."
Bruno will share many of these success stories at Convention '11 in his seminar, "Surviving and Thriving: Top 25 Tourism Recession Success Cases."
A preview of the kind of stories he'll be sharing at Convention is in Group Tour Magazine (page 96), where Bruno discusses these innovative tourism outlets:
- Linden and Perry County, Tennessee, used federal stimulus funds to create more jobs, tax revenue and tourism.
- At First Crush Winemaking in Paso Robles, California, visitors don't just learn about winemaking, they get involved.
- The Titanic Museum in Branson, Missouri, uses dogs to draw people. A pair of spaniels greets visitors, who learn that three of 10 dogs aboard the ship survived the 1912 tragedy.
Join us in Las Vegas this December for Bruno's fascinating sessions and walk away with new ideas on:
- Showing your teams that excellence is attainable
- Creativity and innovation that rules the day
- Understanding new definitions for "community"
- How technology is delivering transparency to customers
Become an NTA member and register for Convention '11.
Asian Markets Predicted to Lead Record U.S. Visitation Numbers
As the number of travelers into the United States is predicted to set new records every year between now and 2015, visitors from Asia will set the pace, increasing by an estimated 100 percent during the five-year period, according to a report on five key Asian markets by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Here are highlights:
Australia: Visitor growth to the U.S. was up significantly from previous years and is expected to continue at an average of 10 percent until 2015.
China: China is currently a top 10 market for U.S. inbound tourism; expect Chinese visitors to become the dominating segment of the long-distance market. By 2015, Chinese visitors are expected to reach 2,350,000 per year, a 346 percent increase since 2009.
India: Arrivals from India to the U.S. were approximately 651,000 in 2010, which was 18 percent higher than the previous year. Business travel attracts the largest amount of Indian travelers to the U.S. Expect it to dramatically increase due to the recent agreements between the two countries.
Japan: Following a 10 percent decrease in 2009, the Japanese outbound market bounced back with a 16 percent increase in travelers to the U.S. in 2010. Even higher numbers of Japanese travelers were projected for 2011, but that forecast was made before the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan.
South Korea: 2010 was a record year for visitors from South Korea, with more than 1.1 million arrivals. Expect this increase to continue into the future.
NTA put in place its China Inbound Program and strategic partnership with the Indian Association of Tour Operators to place NTA members at the forefront of these burgeoning markets.
Reach 20,000 Group Leaders 
Would you like to reach group leaders who are actively planning tours? Our annual NTA Trip Planner for Group Leaders is a resource for group segments such as alumni, seniors, bank travel, hospitals, religious and travel clubs.
Check out the 2010 edition! Features in the 2011 edition will include casinos, theaters, museums, restaurants and other attractions that welcome groups. The publication will also include an "I Want to Go There" section, spotlighting destinations that have special appeal for groups.
Any non-NTA member seller can advertise in this publication.
To find out more, contact NTA Services by e-mail or phone: +1.859.264.6559.
6 Tips for Creating an Effective Social Media Program
The use of social media is becoming commonplace in the travel industry, and now a survey conducted by a European consultant helps with how-tos. Results of their survey from some 600 hoteliers showed that hotels typically manage their own program, spending less than US$5,000. Whether you operate a hotel or a tour company, these tips can help you start-and maintain-a social media program that will build your brand and enhance customer relations.
Make sure there's buy-in. A social media program requires staff time and company funds (for equipment), so you'll need buy-in from top to bottom.
Create and train a team. Identify people who will know the answer to any guest inquiry. Make sure they have the time and skill to respond.
Coordinate your content. Create a content management strategy that embraces all marketing activities: social, mobile and e-mail, along with the hotel Web site.
Establish a routine. Create a daily social media routine, which includes monitoring local news and events, plus checking the feeds from your social media sites throughout the day.
Track ROI. Create measureable goals and a means for monitoring them. Keep in mind that building relationships is as important as amassing bookings.
Keep the conversation going. Provide fresh and compelling offers and comments, and be sure to respond to digital compliments from guests.
See the entire list of tips on Tnooz.
Why You Should Love (and Participate in) Twitter Chats
Samantha Hosenkamp, a blogger for Ragan's PR Daily, admits she's addicted to Twitter chats.
What's the difference between tweeting about a topic and participating in a Twitter chat? Chats are organized, topical discussions on Twitter that have moderators. Typically, chats last an hour and anyone can join. For example, #TourismChat is a chat for the tourism industry. DMOs, hoteliers, buyers, etc., discuss tourism topics every other Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. (NTA and some of our members already participate. You can, too! Find information about upcoming chat topics for #TourismChat here.)
Why chat? Hosenkamp cites the following ways Twitter chats can benefit your company:
- Networking. By tweeting, retweeting and replying to other industry colleagues in the chat, you can build valuable connections.
- Learn a lot, quickly. A well-run Twitter chat can deliver a good deal of worthwhile, detailed information in a short span of time.
- Showcase your knowledge and brand. Your interactions on the chat-sharing case studies and company experiences can boost your brand visibility in the industry.
You've decided to chat. Now what?
- Pick your chat: Here's a list of promoted Twitter chats. (There's 378 and counting!) Become familiar with the topic, find out if it has a moderator/speaker and look for past chat transcripts to be sure the chat will be worth your time.
- Find a chat tool. We recommend TweetChat (so does Hosenkamp, the blogger). Chat tools, such as TweetChat, HootSuite or TweetDeck give you a platform to read each conversation in the chat. They'll also save you from having to enter the hashtag (#) every time you tweet.
- Get in the conversation; it's all about connections. Do announce yourself and your company when you join, share business tips relevant to the topic, and link to case studies with which you're familiar. Don't flood the chat with links to your own site or self-promote too much. There's a thin line there, and you don't want to be mistaken as a spammer!
- Follow up. Thank the moderator by sending a quick message expressing appreciation for the great conversation and questions. Follow the participants you connected with, and hopefully they'll follow you back.
Give it a shot! Maybe we'll see you next Thursday for #TourismChat!
Make Sure You're Right on the Map 
Starting last month, you can literally put yourself on the map. Google Maps is an online tool used by people traveling across the country or across town, and now Google has opened its entire map of the United States to enhancement and correction by people who best know their own neighborhood-including you.
To help clients find you faster, you can make sure the surrounding streets, roads and buildings are labeled properly. To help visitors appreciate your property more fully, you can add landmarks and attractions, such as a new pool or hiking trail. You can even make driving directions more accurate.
The process is not a free-for-all, of course. After you sign in as a Google user and make your edits, a moderator reviews them. Once approved, those edits are posted to Google Maps, where millions of people can view the enhancements you've made.
To get started, visit the Google Map Maker site. From there, you can view an introductory video, learn how to edit a map, and make your changes. Happy mapping!
6 Tips for Keeping Your Facebook Fans Engaged
For a business seeking new customers through Facebook, it's tempting to keep score by checking the number of "likes." But there's more to building an active and productive Facebook community than tallying new friends, according to Jason Winocour, a social and digital media expert. In a story in PR News, Winocour describes business strategies for keeping Facebook fans engaged:
- Look to Facebook as a powerful tool for building awareness and stoking engagement, and not as your company's main driver of sales.
- Don't just announce company news; give your fans a mixture of ways to interact by posting questions, pictures and polls, and providing relevant links.
- Facebook provides insights and analytics to help you determine which engagement tactics are most effective for your page. Use them to understand your fans' interests and to promote a deeper interaction with your brand.
- When you post, use a voice that reflects the personality of the brand, rather than a cold, "official" voice.
- In terms of frequency, you can post three or four times a week and keep followers engaged-but only if your posts are relevant and interesting.
- Be careful about deleting posts. It's one thing to remove an offensive post, but deleting one that's merely negative can alienate your community.
Click here for Winocour's complete article on PR News.