What’s driving today’s economic growth in tourism? Where does the future of tourism lie? And how are organizations in the travel and meetings/events industry finding renewed vitality, spunk and financial vigor? The answer lies in Specialty Markets. As every organization should develop and execute a business strategy on Specialty Markets, this blog is dedicated to assisting you and your company in such endeavors. So what are the Specialty Markets? That's what we'll discover together below...
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
NTA Opens Membership to Travel Agents (Groups Today)
The National Tour Association is opening its membership to travel agents, enabling them to expand their tour portfolio by partnering directly with NTA tour operators. Miami-based North Shore Travel became the first travel agency to join NTA under its new member category, Travel Planner.
"We are really excited to be with NTA and be part of a valued and reliable industry leader," said Sebastian Ohrwaschel, North Shore Travel's managing director. "The association gives us access to different resources and the opportunity to connect with innovative partners."
For the past two years, NTA has welcomed travel agents to Travel Exchange, its annual convention, for a two-day program that featured a business session, targeted education, and an introduction to the show's trade floor. Now, travel agents can attend the 2016 show in Atlanta as members, with full access to NTA colleagues, seminars, and numerous networking opportunities.
"We're eager to get travel planners into the mix at Travel Exchange," said NTA President Pam Inman. "Those new members—retail travel agents—can increase their revenue by tapping into trending tour product our operators have created, which, in turn, will give our suppliers and destinations a boost."
Travel Exchange '16 is slated for January 31 – February 4 in the Georgia World Congress Center. The hallmark of the show for travel agents has been the access to tour companies that package innovative product geared to specialty markets and niche tours.
NTA tour operators voted in May to establish the new membership category for retail travel agents at for-profit companies whose primary business is selling the tours and packages of a tour operator or third party. The vote followed two years of member-led research and discussions.
"For 64 years NTA has helped our members be successful, because we're always open to new ideas that meet the changing needs of travelers and the shifting business models within the industry. We know our operators would like to sell more tours through travel agents, and in turn, agents can increase their business by having access to more tour operator-packaged travel," Inman said. "We expect to see a gradual, steady growth of travel planner members, and we look forward to seeing them in Atlanta."
About NTA: Founded in 1951, the National Tour Association is a global organization of packaged-travel professionals serving travelers to, from and within North America. For more information, visit NTAonline.com.
- See more at: http://groupstoday.com/news/439-nta-opens-membership-to-travel-agents#sthash.r910s7uk.dpuf
Anthony Bourdain Talks Culinary Travel at Ensemble (by Travel Market Report)
Article link:
http://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/Anthony-Bourdain-Talks-Culinary-Travel-at-Ensemble
Opening excerpt:
Food talk was on the menu at the Ensemble Travel Group International Conference in Orlando on Monday, kicked off by keynote speaker and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.
http://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/Anthony-Bourdain-Talks-Culinary-Travel-at-Ensemble
Opening excerpt:
Food talk was on the menu at the Ensemble Travel Group International Conference in Orlando on Monday, kicked off by keynote speaker and celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Groups Today: 5 Minutes wth Pam Inman, President, NTA
Groups Today interview with Pam Inman, President of the National Tour Association:
Article link:
http://groupstoday.com/profiles/433-5-minutes-wth-pam-inman-president-nta
Article link:
http://groupstoday.com/profiles/433-5-minutes-wth-pam-inman-president-nta
Travle Weekly's Interview with National Tour Association about Travel Agent Membership
Here's an excellent interview conducted by Travel Weekly with Catherine Prather, Executive VP of the National Tour Association regarding NTA's new membership category for travel agents.
Article link:
Article link:
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Travel Agents Now a Part of NTA
LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Oct. 13, 2015) — The National Tour Association is opening its membership to travel agents, enabling them to expand their tour portfolio by partnering directly with NTA tour operators. Miami-based North Shore Travel became the first travel agency to join NTA under its new member category, Travel Planner.
“We are really excited to be with NTA and be part of a valued and reliable industry leader,” said Sebastian Ohrwaschel, North Shore Travel’s managing director. “The association gives us access to different resources and the opportunity to connect with innovative partners.”
For the past two years, NTA has welcomed travel agents to Travel Exchange, its annual convention, for a two-day program that featured a business session, targeted education and an introduction to the show’s trade floor. Now travel agents can attend the 2016 show in Atlanta as members and have full access to NTA colleagues, seminars and numerous networking opportunities.
“We’re eager to get travel planners into the mix at Travel Exchange,” said NTA President Pam Inman. “Those new members—retail travel agents—can increase their revenue by tapping into trending tour product our operators have created, which, in turn, will give our suppliers and destinations a boost.”
Travel Exchange ’16 is slated for Jan. 31–Feb. 4 in the Georgia World Congress Center. The hallmark of the show for travel agents has been the access to tour companies that package innovative product geared to specialty markets and niche tours.
NTA tour operators voted in May to establish the new membership category for retail travel agents at for-profit companies whose primary business is selling the tours and packages of a tour operator or third party. The vote followed two years of member-led research and discussions.
“For 64 years NTA has helped our members be successful because we’re always open to new ideas that meet the changing needs of travelers and the shifting business models within the industry. We know our operators would like to sell more tours through travel agents, and in turn, agents can increase their business by having access to more tour operator-packaged travel,” Inman said. “We expect to see a gradual, steady growth of travel planner members, and we look forward to seeing them in Atlanta.”
About NTA: Founded in 1951, the National Tour Association is a global organization of packaged-travel professionals serving travelers to, from and within North America. For more information, visit NTAonline.com.
“We are really excited to be with NTA and be part of a valued and reliable industry leader,” said Sebastian Ohrwaschel, North Shore Travel’s managing director. “The association gives us access to different resources and the opportunity to connect with innovative partners.”
For the past two years, NTA has welcomed travel agents to Travel Exchange, its annual convention, for a two-day program that featured a business session, targeted education and an introduction to the show’s trade floor. Now travel agents can attend the 2016 show in Atlanta as members and have full access to NTA colleagues, seminars and numerous networking opportunities.
“We’re eager to get travel planners into the mix at Travel Exchange,” said NTA President Pam Inman. “Those new members—retail travel agents—can increase their revenue by tapping into trending tour product our operators have created, which, in turn, will give our suppliers and destinations a boost.”
Travel Exchange ’16 is slated for Jan. 31–Feb. 4 in the Georgia World Congress Center. The hallmark of the show for travel agents has been the access to tour companies that package innovative product geared to specialty markets and niche tours.
NTA tour operators voted in May to establish the new membership category for retail travel agents at for-profit companies whose primary business is selling the tours and packages of a tour operator or third party. The vote followed two years of member-led research and discussions.
“For 64 years NTA has helped our members be successful because we’re always open to new ideas that meet the changing needs of travelers and the shifting business models within the industry. We know our operators would like to sell more tours through travel agents, and in turn, agents can increase their business by having access to more tour operator-packaged travel,” Inman said. “We expect to see a gradual, steady growth of travel planner members, and we look forward to seeing them in Atlanta.”
About NTA: Founded in 1951, the National Tour Association is a global organization of packaged-travel professionals serving travelers to, from and within North America. For more information, visit NTAonline.com.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
National Tour Association Joins Engage Cuba’s Coalition
National Tour
Association Joins Engage Cuba’s Coalition
LEXINGTON, Ky. —
Engage Cuba is pleased to announce that the National
Tour Association (NTA) has joined its leading coalition of
businesses, associations and civil society organizations working to lift the
travel ban and trade embargo on Cuba. NTA is a powerful player in the
travel industry, moving more than 13.6 million travelers per year and buying
more than $8.8 billion dollars of travel services annually.
“The
National Tour Association is proud to join Engage Cuba and its partners with
one goal in mind—lifting the travel ban for Americans,” said Pam Inman, NTA
president. “The raising of the flag at the U.S. embassy in Havana in August
represents how far we’ve come in restoring diplomatic ties between our two
countries. Restricting travel between the United States and Cuba impacts both
nations culturally and economically. The elimination of the travel ban would
create new jobs in the United States and be an economic driver to U.S. travel
businesses, such as tour operators, travel agents, airlines and transportation
companies. We will continue to advocate for bilateral cooperation and the
passing of legislation that would remove all existing travel barriers. NTA has
always stood behind the freedom to travel, and it’s important that we’re
putting our association-wide and grassroots-level support with Engage Cuba.”
James
Williams, president of Engage Cuba, said, “NTA is an important addition to
Engage Cuba. The path to normalize relations between the United States and Cuba
is through travel, commerce and people-to-people contact, all areas where NTA
offers a wealth of resources and expertise. NTA’s support for ending the travel
ban builds on the vocal positions from other travel providers and associations
within Engage Cuba’s rapidly expanding coalition, as well as 81% of
Americans. As the number of people traveling to Cuba continues to grow exponentially, American travel
providers should be allowed to operate without burdensome restrictions. American
travel to Cuba empowers people on the Island and our government should support
these constructive people-to-people interactions.”
About Engage Cuba: Engage Cuba is a bipartisan 501(c)(4) public policy organization dedicated to coalescing and mobilizing American businesses, non-profit groups and concerned citizens for the purpose of supporting the ongoing U.S.‐Cuba normalization process and enacting legislation to reform U.S. travel and trade restrictions with Cuba. To learn more visit engagecuba.org.
About NTA: The National Tour Association was founded in 1951 and is now the leading association for packaged travel professionals (representing more than 40 countries) interested in the North American market. For more information, visit NTAonline.com and follow the association on Twitter at @NTAnews.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
2016 to be "U.S. - China Tourism Year"
Article excerpt:
U.S. – China Tourism Year
Throughout the year, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), in collaboration with Brand USA and other partners, will design and execute a year of events and activities that will promote and further open travel between the United States and China, expand market access, and advance initiatives to ensure a quality visitor experience for increasing numbers of travelers to and from both nations
Read full story at:
http://ftnnews.com/other-news/28603-2016-is-set-to-be-u-s-china-tourism-year.html
U.S. – China Tourism Year
Throughout the year, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), in collaboration with Brand USA and other partners, will design and execute a year of events and activities that will promote and further open travel between the United States and China, expand market access, and advance initiatives to ensure a quality visitor experience for increasing numbers of travelers to and from both nations
Read full story at:
http://ftnnews.com/other-news/28603-2016-is-set-to-be-u-s-china-tourism-year.html
Friday, October 2, 2015
NTA Facilitates Growth of Chinese Inbound Travel
The National Tour Association played a prominent role in the China-inbound market at the U.S.-China Tourism Leadership Summit in Los Angeles earlier this month.
"Everyone is very excited about the growth in Chinese visitors to the U.S.," said Nick Hentschel of AmericanTours International (ATI), an NTA member based in Los Angeles, who spoke at the U.S.-China Tourism Leadership Summit on September 9. "As a service industry dedicated to the passenger experience, we should be building a bridge between our two nations."
That bridge-building, Hentschel explained, includes continued engagement by the two governments, Brand USA, and tour companies participating in NTA's China Inbound Program. "Following the 'rules of the road' set out by NTA is not only good for building this bridge, it is also good for business in the long run."
NTA President Pam Inman led a panel discussion focused on increasing multidestination U.S. tours. "To ensure the best possible experience, tour operators must provide access to Chinese-speaking guides and materials in Chinese," Inman said. "Our China Inbound Program operators attest to compliance with policies and procedures for insurance, education, ethics, and safety."
NTA members and summit panelists Chris Babb of Washington, D.C.-based The Group Tour Company and Harry Chen of San Francisco-based Joy Holiday Tours spoke about the increasing popularity of independent travel by Chinese visitors and the emergence of U.S. destinations beyond gateway cities.
Inman participated in the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, held during the summit, alongside representatives from The U.S. Department of Commerce and the China National Tourism Administration. Haybina Hao, NTA's director of international development, updated the commission on NTA tour operators' achievements in the China inbound market. Enrollment in NTA's China Inbound Program reached 200 operators this year, and the association coordinated familiarization trips in New Orleans and the Washington, D.C., area. In May, Inman and Hao led a U.S. delegation to China, where the group met with government officials and NTA members.
When NTA launched its China Inbound Program in 2008, fewer than a half-million Chinese citizens visited the United States. Since 2008, NTA has been entrusted by the U.S. and Chinese governments to vet U.S. tour companies that handle the leisure group market from China. Last year inbound Chinese visitation overall rose 21 percent. Visitation topped the one million mark in 2011, and by last year it doubled again, when nearly 2.2 million Chinese visitors traveled to the United States. By 2019, China is projected to become the third-largest U.S.-inbound market, sending some 4.9 million visitors.
- See more at: http://groupstoday.com/news/423-nta-facilitates-growth-of-chinese-inbound-travel#sthash.9Gp4oA6g.dpuf
"Everyone is very excited about the growth in Chinese visitors to the U.S.," said Nick Hentschel of AmericanTours International (ATI), an NTA member based in Los Angeles, who spoke at the U.S.-China Tourism Leadership Summit on September 9. "As a service industry dedicated to the passenger experience, we should be building a bridge between our two nations."
That bridge-building, Hentschel explained, includes continued engagement by the two governments, Brand USA, and tour companies participating in NTA's China Inbound Program. "Following the 'rules of the road' set out by NTA is not only good for building this bridge, it is also good for business in the long run."
NTA President Pam Inman led a panel discussion focused on increasing multidestination U.S. tours. "To ensure the best possible experience, tour operators must provide access to Chinese-speaking guides and materials in Chinese," Inman said. "Our China Inbound Program operators attest to compliance with policies and procedures for insurance, education, ethics, and safety."
NTA members and summit panelists Chris Babb of Washington, D.C.-based The Group Tour Company and Harry Chen of San Francisco-based Joy Holiday Tours spoke about the increasing popularity of independent travel by Chinese visitors and the emergence of U.S. destinations beyond gateway cities.
Inman participated in the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, held during the summit, alongside representatives from The U.S. Department of Commerce and the China National Tourism Administration. Haybina Hao, NTA's director of international development, updated the commission on NTA tour operators' achievements in the China inbound market. Enrollment in NTA's China Inbound Program reached 200 operators this year, and the association coordinated familiarization trips in New Orleans and the Washington, D.C., area. In May, Inman and Hao led a U.S. delegation to China, where the group met with government officials and NTA members.
When NTA launched its China Inbound Program in 2008, fewer than a half-million Chinese citizens visited the United States. Since 2008, NTA has been entrusted by the U.S. and Chinese governments to vet U.S. tour companies that handle the leisure group market from China. Last year inbound Chinese visitation overall rose 21 percent. Visitation topped the one million mark in 2011, and by last year it doubled again, when nearly 2.2 million Chinese visitors traveled to the United States. By 2019, China is projected to become the third-largest U.S.-inbound market, sending some 4.9 million visitors.
- See more at: http://groupstoday.com/news/423-nta-facilitates-growth-of-chinese-inbound-travel#sthash.9Gp4oA6g.dpuf
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)