BUSINESS
InBrief NEWS
COMPILED BY PAT HENDERSON
AND NOTES ABOUT YOUR ASSOCIATION AND THE INDUSTRY
Stylin ’ and profilin ’
Your organization ’ s profile on NTA Online is one of your most important marketing tools within the association . It allows other buyers and sellers to learn more about you , and it can lead to better opportunities for connections and future business .
Now that the new year is a few weeks old , make sure your profile is accurate to show your colleagues exactly who you are and what you do best . Updating it is simple : Just sign into NTA Online and click the person icon in the top right of the page next to the search function .
Reminder : Only an organization ’ s NTA primary contact can update the profile , which includes your company info , description , logo , photos and social media links .
If you need assistance updating your profile , just email headquarters @ ntastaff . com or call 800.682.8886 ( toll-free in the U . S . and Canada ) or + 1.859.264.6540 .
Did you know ? Accessible 24 / 7 on NTAonline . com , the NTA member search feature is used approximately 8,000 times a month .
Busy upcoming stretch for NTA board , staff
Your association ’ s board and staff will be on the road at a number of key industry events in the coming weeks , including the following five :
Heartland Travel Showcase Feb . 16 – 18 , Buffalo , New York NTA representative : Bond Milburn , CTP
Tourism Cares with Jordan Feb . 23 – 28 , Jordan NTA representatives : Chris Babb and Jay Smith ( board members ), NTA President Pam Inman , CTP , and Bob Rouse ( covering for Courier magazine )
Travel South Showcase March 18 – 21 , Biloxi , Mississippi NTA representative : Bond Milburn , CTP
Destination Capitol Hill March 21 – 22 , Washington , D . C . NTA representatives : Chris Babb , Jay Smith , Paul Larsen and Jerry Varner ( board members ), and NTA President Pam Inman , CTP NTA is a partner of this annual event that includes advocacy training and a legislative day on Capitol Hill .
NTA Owners Network March 23 , Washington , D . C . NTA representative : Pam Inman , CTP The NTA Owners Network brings together tour operator company owners for high-level conversation .
New U . S . Travel Advisory system in place
On Jan . 10 , the U . S . Department of State unveiled a new system for sharing information on international destinations with U . S . travelers . The improvements will provide clear , timely , and reliable safety and security information about countries across the globe . Under the new system , every country will have a Travel Advisory , providing levels of travel precautions that ranging from 1 to 4 :
Level 1 Exercise Normal Precautions Level 2 Exercise Increased Caution Level 3 Reconsider Travel Level 4 Do Not Travel
These new Travel Advisories , available for every country , replace the previous Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts the department issued . While the department will still provide an overall Travel Advisory ranking for all nations , levels may vary for specific locations or areas within a country .
There also will be specific risk indicators that detail why one of the four levels is being assigned . Those categories are Crime , Terrorism , Civil Unrest , Health , Natural Disaster , Time-limited Event and Other .
Information on the new system can be found at the newly redesigned travel . state . gov . The site also is the place where Travel Advisories are posted , and it includes pages with detailed information on each country .
If U . S . citizens wish to receive security and other important updates while traveling , they can enroll their travel plans in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program ( step . state . gov ).
8 February 2018