The Inbound Report

Covering the Inbound Tourism Industry Since 1996

Visit Booth # 2235 at IPW

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Connect Travel, new owner and publisher of the INBOUND Report, will be at full strength at IPW June 1-5 in Anaheim. Connect team members who will be in Anaheim include (left to right): Will Seccombe, president, Connect Travel; Betsy Cooper, international editor, INBOUND; Shari Bailey, director of international, Connect Travel; and Fernando Harb, senior director of sales, Connect Travel.

 

Connect Travel, new owner and publisher of the INBOUND Report, will be at full strength at IPW June 1-5 in Anaheim. Connect team members who will be in Anaheim include (left to right): Will Seccombe, president, Connect Travel; Betsy Cooper, international editor, INBOUND; Shari Bailey, director of international, Connect Travel; and Fernando Harb, senior director of sales, Connect Travel.

Images from the RTO Summit East 2019

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“Our mission and mantra at Connect Travel is to connect the right people at the right time in the right place and in the right format in order to help you expedite the process … so that you be successful.”—Will Seccombe, president, Connect Travel & Connect Marketing as he greeted delegates to the opening of the RTO Summit East last week in New York City. Above is Seccombe, just before he welcomed Summit delegates.

 

Greg Edevane, director of global development, Chester County (Pa.) CVB, and Stacy Cohen, product development manager, Northeast, Meeting Point International listening to question from the audience during their discussion on how to get independent hotels to embrace the receptive tour operator channel.

 

Jennifer Costa, director of Go Elizabeth NJ makes a point during a panel discussion on the importance of relationship marketing while another panelist, Mike Prejean, international marketing manager, Louisiana Office of Tourism, listens.

 

Ann Pilcher (left), tourism sales manager, Pocono Mountains CVB; and Penny Nana-Sinkam, group sales manager at Amish Farm and House.

 

Sally Berry (left) a tourism industry consultant and featured speaker; and Leah Muller, tourism sales director, Buffalo Niagara CVB

 

Shari Bailey, director of international, Connect Travel; and Fernando Harb, senior director of sales, Connect Travel.

 

About to speak to the RTO Summit is Kirsten Breach Baker, founder and CEO of Jeennie, a translation service.

 

Dan Swain, director of data sales for ARC, just before his presentation to Summit delegates.

 

Bob Gilbert, president of Captivation Marketing, listening intently to a panel discussion while, at the same time, he waits to make a presentation of his own.

 

Matt Nagel, director of product, Peek Pro, answers a question from the audience during a panel discussion on channel managers and how they are changing attraction distribution. The panel also included Amanda Johnson (left), channel manager, Fareharbor; and Melanie Wilmesher, also a channel manager from Fareharbor.

 

Yiling Pan, editor, Jing Travel, spoke with INBOUND following her presentation on trends in Chinese tourism.

 

Tour Operator Roundtable discussion leader Robin Sammartino, contracting manager, Northeast USA, for World2Meet

 

Tour Operator Roundtable discussion leader Stacy Cohen, product development manager, Northeast, Meeting Point International.

 

Tour Operator Roundtable discussion leader Tomás Rey, president Rey Royal

 

 

Tour Operator Roundtable discussion leader Esther Roth, general manager, DMC East, ATP (formerly AlliedTPro)

 

Tour Operator Roundtable discussion leader Anthony Liu, president, American Holidays

 

Tour Operator Roundtable discussion leader Huey Hu, CEO assistant and marketing specialist, Universal Vision/Jupiter Legend Corp.

 

Tour Operator Roundtable discussion leader Mahua Seghal, contracting manager, New World Travel

 

Roxanna Torrens, senior director of travel industry sales, Earl Enterprises; and Jack Lok, founder, L&L Travel

 

Elaine Kellogg, executive director business development, Gray Line/City Sightseeing New York, welcomes delegates at day two breakfast.

 

Larry Chen and Holly Zhao—president and general manager, respectively—of Bigdream Tours Enterprise

 

From New Jersey are: Jennifer M. Costa, director of Go Elizabeth; and Dorian L Perez, sales and marketing manager, Go Elizabeth.

 

Ivan Selwyn, contract manager, Bonotel Exclusive Travel; and Katelynn Copell, visitors center coordinator, McIlhenny Company (makers of TABASCO® brand products)

 

Kimberly Hartley, Canadian/International sales manager, Myrtle Beach Area CVB; and Carolyn J. Feimster, travel and tourism manager, SHOP*DINE*PLAY*USA

 

Mahua Seghal, contracting manager, New World Travel; and Roxanna Torrens, senior director of travel industry sales, Earl Enterprises

 

Mahua Seghal, contracting manager, New World Travel; and Roxanna Torrens, senior director of travel industry sales, Earl Enterprises

 

From Mayi Tours we have David Dong, operations department; and Ray Yan.

 

Harry Wade, tourism marketing manager, Duty Free Americas; and Christina Marcotte, travel trade manager, Niagara Falls Tourism

 

Colleen Selner, sales manager, Brandywine Valley & Valley Forge; and Greg Edevane, director of global development, Chester County (Pa.) CVB

 

Tom Sipply, marketing manager, RMP Travel; and Melissa Rose, group sales manager, Corning Museum of Glass

 

Angela Wiggins (left), regional manager, tripadvisor Experiences; and Blanca Rosa Espinosa, director of sales and marketing, New York City EXPRESS BUS

 

Julie Payne (left), group sales consultant, Hershey; and Larry Chen and Holly Zhao—president and general manager, respectively—of Bigdream Tours Enterprise

 

Long-time colleagues at, Gray Line/City Sightseeing New York—Anna Kozma, sales services manager; and Elaine Kellogg, executive director business development

 

Eugenie Mitichell, vice president of tourism sales for luncheon sponsor Lafayette Louisiana, talks about her destination while Katelynn Copell, visitors center coordinator, McIlhenny Company (makers of TABASCO® brand products), listens.

 

Tomás Rey, president Rey Royal,  with Charlene Hale, leisure manager, Visit Jefferson Parish

 

Armindo Ferreira, managing director, EMI Global USA; and Rosemarie Reyes, partner in ROSEWORKS Marketing

 

Renee Eichelberger, director of leisure travel sales, Explore Saint St. Louis; and Josephine Formato, sales manager, special groups and incentives, AmericanTours International

 

Danielle Dowlin (left), director of sales, plain and fancy, Miller’s and Amish View; and Robin Sammartino, contracting manager, North and East USA, for World2Meet.

 

Tracy Harris, sales and marketing manager, Attractions USA

 

Marie Reese (left), product manager-USA/Canada/Caribbean, Flight Centre Travel Groupp; and Kaylynne Defever, tourism specialist, Detroit Metro CVB

 

It was an unintentional festival of polka dots on display for the three partners in ROSEWORKS marketing—(left to right): Shoshana Puccia, Veronique Hennebelle and Rosemarie Reyes—who showed up from different parts of the globe.

 

Gifts contributed by suppliers for a closing reception raffle kept delegates at the event until the very end.

 

Gifts contributed by suppliers for a closing reception raffle kept delegates at the event until the very end.

 

Just prior to the last business meeting of the day, everyone waved goodbye to the 2019 RTO East Summit.

 

Receptive Tour Operator of the Month

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For 40 years, RMP Travel has been a part of the inbound tour and travel industry focusing on, and catering to, the MICE market, Med Pharma visitors, convention and congress groups. In doing so, the New York-based operator has developed programs that highlight New York City, New York State and major cities throughout the United States. Its formula for success has been clear and direct: “We assess our clients’ needs and deliver customized programs catered to those needs.”

The TourOperatorLand.com website of the Connect Travel Group (it also publishes the INBOUND Report) has introduced both receptive tour operators, U.S. tour operators and international tour operators to travel product and services of U.S. travel suppliers and DMOs. Visitors to the website can use its exclusive Receptive Finder™ to find the right RTO.  It is designed to help both the travel trade and travel suppliers find the right U.S. based receptive tour operator to sell their products on the international travel market place.

The receptive operators listed on TheTourOperatorLand.com, who are vetted and qualified by the Connect Travel Group, also take part in at least one of Connect’s RTO Summits series. The Summits take place annually in Los Angeles, New York City and Orlando.

If you would like to make personal contact with RMP Travel next week, then check out the RTO Summit East April 24-25 at the Park Central Hotel in New York City. RMP Travel will be there. For more information, visit: www.rtosummit.com, or www.TourOperatorLand.com.

The Tour Operators Technology Summit—an RTO  Summit Day Especially for Receptives

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Receptive tour operators who plan to be a part of the business appointments on Day Two of the RTO Summit East later this month (April 24) now have the opportunity to pick up on the latest technological developments in “How to Use Travel Technology and Increase Your Business” with a day-long program developed just for receptives.

Presenters include tech companies experienced in the tour and travel industry, such as Charley Troggio, granddaughter of Charlene Troggio, founder of Breakaway Travel, an ABA operator now Pittsburgh who, with no background in computer science, built their group reservations and operations system for free using Google Drive.

 For the latest updates to the TOTS agenda, as well as a list of presenters who will be taking part in the Summit, click here.

Tour Operator Technology Summit (TOTS) Update: Meet the Tour Operator Who Built Their Own Group Reservations System—DIY Style–FREE

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Slated to take place April 24-25 at the Park Central hotel in Manhattan, NAJ’s first ever Tour Operator Technology Summit (TOTS) is designed to showcase the latest advances by featuring booking and connectivity that has made technology affordable and easy to understand for small and mid-size operators.

While researching technology we found sophisticated systems that required extensive installation running $75,000 + as well as systems with no up-front fees, but we never expected to find someone like Charley Troggio, granddaughter of the founder Charlene Troggio, co-founder of Breakaway Travel an ABA operator now Pittsburgh who, with no background in computer science, built their group reservations and operations system for free using Google Drive.

“We’re very honored that she will be showing this technology at TOTS,” explained Jake Steinman, founder and CEO of NAJ. “Most tour operators are too busy attend  Go-to-Meeting demo’s with vendors, so we’ve unearthed representatives from companies that we’ve identified the product that is both suitable and affordable for small and mid-size operators in one place.”

Additionally, TOTS has confirmed 10 of the sixteen invited panelists and presenters.  See the updated agenda here: https://www.rtosummit.com/tour-operator-tech-summit-and-demo-day-plan/

Frequently Asked Questions:

Question: Who Should We Send?

Answer: Anyone with input on the decisions about new technology for a tour operator. This includes

  • Owners
  • General managers
  • Directors of Operations
  • IT staff

 

Question: What does it cost?

Answer: Registration is $199 for operators attending to the RTO Summit Marketplace on April 25th or are member of ABA, SYTA, or NTA, our industry partners.  All others: $895:  Register here:https://ww2.eventrebels.com/er/Registration/StepRegInfo.jsp?ActivityID=25942&StepNumber=2&PromotionCode=TECHSUMMIT

Who is Supporting TOTS?

The following travel industry organizations—ABA, NTA, SYTA and IPW2019 are partnering with NAJ for this event.

PLEASE NOTE: The TOTS program agenda will run parallel to, but independent of, the program for NAJ’s RTO Summit East on April 24. Day Two will feature he Summit’s marketplace, with its business appointments.

Four major travel industry organizations—ABA, NTA, SYTA and IPW2019 are partnering with NAJ for this event.

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Staff

Tom Berrigan, Managing Editor/Producer
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