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NACTA Thanks Industry for Making Travel Consultant Appreciation Month a Success
Suppliers Signing Up for More Agent Engagement at Annual Conference in November
Alexandria, VA – June 16, 2016 – The National Association of Career Travel Agents (NACTA) thanks the many travel industry suppliers that recognized the importance of travel consultants by participating in NACTA’s Travel Consultant Appreciation Month celebration in May.
Travel consultants were offered a free webinar, media resources to help promote themselves, and had an opportunity to win thousands of dollars worth of prizes and bonus commissions such as 5,000 Starwood points, and a $200 AMEX card booking incentive from AAT Kings. Other prizes included a Carnival Cruise Line VIP package and “Hello Sunny” VIP cards with gifts.
The winner of the grand prize--a three-day NACTA Annual Conference pass and complimentary three nights at the Westin Fort Lauderdale Hotel--was Ms. Mary Zadrozny of A to Zee Travel in Naperville, IL. NACTA also gave away a registration to its 2017 Annual Conference, to be held in Anchorage, Alaska. The winner of that drawing was Michael Cirrito of Champagne Travel Services.
“The true importance of a national appreciation month, in addition to giving back to hard-working consultants, is to raise awareness of the work our members do with the traveling public,” said NACTA President Ann Chamberlin. To do this, NACTA launched a social media campaign leading up to and during the festivities to promote the use of a travel consultant, providing participants with National Travel Consultant Month images to use to create more awareness.
“In fact, because of the recognition our members received in May from industry suppliers, and the positive media it generated for the travel consultant community as a whole, we already are planning a bigger and better appreciation month for May 2017,” she said.
During the month of May NACTA’s website traffic increased by 32 percent and NACTA added 63 new members. “In addition, many members thanked us for showcasing them for an entire month,” said Chamberlin. “Many of the suppliers that participated are excited to meet with our folks Nov. 3-9 in Fort Lauderdale for our annual convention that will be on land and sea.”
Lisa Watson, NACTA Director of Marketing and Communications, added, “Travel consultants are often overlooked, or their services misunderstood. We hope to spread the word, and help our own members to do this as well, that if you want a more enjoyable experience, peace of mind and the best value overall for your next vacation, then trust a professional travel planner.” To find a professional NACTA consultant, go to FindATravelConsultant.com.
Because of the success of Appreciation Months, NACTA will have more supplier participation next May, with additional bonus commission offers, gift cards, valuable prizes, exclusive FAM opportunities and weekly giveaways. “We are working on extra benefits for travel consultants, to reward them for their hard work on behalf of their clients. We look forward to announcing more details at a later date about next year’s celebration,” said Chamberlin.
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The National Association of Career Travel Agents (NACTA) is the travel industry’s leading national trade association representing independent contractors, outside sales consultants, cruise and tour oriented consultants, group oriented travel professionals and traditional ARC-appointed travel agencies that provide services and support to such professionals. Established in 1986, NACTA’s mission is to represent the interest of independent travel entrepreneurs and to promote professionalism and recognition for the professional independent consultant. NACTA is an affiliate of ASTA, the American Society of Travel Agents, the world’s largest travel trade association.
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