Beyond Boundaries Travel: ENGLAND HOSTS 2002 PRODUCT ORIENTATION TRIP

ENGLAND HOSTS 2002 PRODUCT ORIENTATION TRIP
NTA International Tour Catalog January/February 2003

Forty -five tour operators converged in the United Kingdom with the goal of creating business opportunities. Participants in the second annual NTA Product Orientation trip, which took place September 21-28, explored six different itineraries for Scotland, England and Wales.

Then, for the first time on the trip, participants met in London for a full-day workshop and marketplace with United Kingdom suppliers.

"The Product Orientation Trip is beneficial on a number of different levels. First of all, the education and information tour operators receive concerning the destination itself is valuable," said Hank Phillips, CTP, president of NTA.

"Second, the United Kingdom trip was a great way to identify new colleagues and partners that tour operators can work with on the international side. Third is a continued familiarization and a comfort zone with working internationally."

For some tour operators, the Product Orientation Trip was more than just an educational experience. It was a time to develop new products.

"This Product Orientation tour was phenomenal. It was really well laid out by the British tourism people and NTA," said Anne Davis, CTP, of Cruises and Tours Worldwide of St. Louis. "It was structured in such a way that we came back thinking, 'Now I know what to do."

The trip, along with the entire international initiative, came from a desire by NTA members to offer customized international trips.

"I personally had a need to develop customized international programs," said Davis. "In the past, we have focused on the United States and Canada."

However, Davis needed personal, hands-on experiences before she felt comfortable customizing international trips.

"On the international scene, since I'm a small business and don't have time to go to Europe or Asia, I would sell clients extension tours from bigger companies," said Davis. "I found that that took away from a bank club's identity. When we do tours for bank clubs, which we have for 22 years, the people on tour don't even know who we are.

After seeing the area for herself and making contacts, Davis coupled this product knowledge with what she already knew about bank groups.

"The experience and exposure allows me to come to a coordinator and say, 'these are experiences I have, I feel that these things would be appealing and would work,'" said Davis. "Plus, the exposure to the area allows me to do special things just for the club."

Jeannie Barresi of Colorado International in Colorado Springs, Colorado, who created an itinerary called Spirited Women in History after the 2001 NTA Product Orientation Trip, also came away with an idea from the United Kingdom Trip.

"For Myths and Legends, we are working with the British Tourist Authority to develop a grandparent-grandchild or parent-child trip," said Barresi. "The trip explores the world of epics, romance and allegory from a childs point of view."

Naturally, Barresi has drawn a lot of positives from the Product Orientation trip.

"The exposure to the areas on the trip is helpful," said Barresi. "Plus, meeting with directors of programs and destination representatives in the United Kingdom, that exposure is critical for ideas and a feeling for knowledge level in those areas."

It is the personalized touch that makes the trip worthwhile.

"The face-to-face interaction is critical," said Barresi. "Having meetings helps to match receptive and location with the vision of our tour idea. That you just can't replace."