Courier August/September Courier | Page 8

VOICES OF LEADERSHIP
Pam Inman President 101 Prosperous Place , Suite 350 Lexington , KY 40509 USA + 1.859.264.6551 pam . inman @ ntastaff . com
EXPERIENCES AND RELATIONSHIPS . Those are the two things I hear about most when talking with you . The client wants an experience that they can only find through a tour operator . And tour operators , DMOs and suppliers want to work with people they trust , people who give them confidence that the product delivered will be the highest quality .
That ’ s what I found when I experienced the new Norwegian Joy — a cruise ship built strictly for the China market . Guests get an experience that they can ’ t receive on any other cruise line , and the company that caters to them maintains a relationship with tour operators who are confident that their clients are getting the highest quality program .
For six-plus decades , NTA members have focused on providing authentic , unique experiences — gained through cultivated relationships . And a distinct benefit of being part of the NTA community is that we ’ re surrounded by experts , so I asked several of our leaders to share their expertise :
What do you see as the greatest near-term growth opportunity for our industry ?
“ International travel , without a doubt ! Brand USA , corporate businesses and our own areas / states partnering with NTA and other organizations will catapult international visitor entry into the USA with all the new promotion and marketing . It ’ s a win-win !”
— Patti A . Culp , Alabama Travel Council Chair , Advocacy Advisory Group
“ As receptive tour specialists for the Northeast , we ’ re seeing growth with smaller , more specialized groups that have specific interests and larger budgets . For these niche groups , we are able to create unique experiences that are not always afforded to larger groups .”
— Michelle Pino , Northeast Unlimited Tours Chair , Member Solutions Advisory Group
“ Listening to our guests and building perks around their experiences to build loyalty will continue to be a trend — especially perks that include making the reward systems more useful , valuable and flexible to enhance the overall travel experience .”
— Michael Weinberg , Hiltons of Chicago Chair , Education Advisory Group
“ Our industry should remain the champion of international inbound advocacy . We should stay committed to positive communication with overseas guests and travel partners to assure them that America still welcomes the world and is eager to serve them with care and excellence . Together , we can change the conversation !”
— Nathan Claycomb , Sight & Sound Theatres Chair , Faith Travel Advisory Group
“ Emerging inbound Asian markets such as China and India are going to continue to grow quickly . This not only creates opportunities for group tours , but will garner more FIT business as these travelers and tour operators get to know the U . S .”
— Melissa McClure , Visit Fairfax Chair , Young Professionals Advisory Group
“ The greatest growth opportunity for people in our industry is continuing to partner with likeminded companies to offer the world to our travelers . Even the most creative , hard-working operators need new , exciting ideas from professionals they can trust .”
— Jay Smith , Sports Travel and Tours Chair , Board of Directors
6 August / September 2017