TIA PARTICIPATES IN MODEL AIRPORT SITE VISIT
Continuing its push for a better welcome to international visitors, TIA, Travel Business Roundtable (TBR) and the private sector participated in a series of meetings and tours of the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, one of two official Model Airports. The purpose of the Model Airports program, of which Dulles International is the second member, is to create a more efficient and welcoming screening system for international travelers on entry to the U.S. Attendees observed a number of elements put in place at George Bush Intercontinental and offered practical recommendations for improvement of line management, welcoming videos and staffing/training issues.


LEGISLATION INTRODUCED ON WHTI AND VISA WAIVER PROGRAM
Two key members of Congress introduced bills acting in conjunction with the Discover America Partnership blueprint. TIA and TBR strongly support both pieces of legislation: A House bill introduced by Congresswoman Louise Slaughter that will strengthen the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative while not impeding cross-border travel and trade and a bill introduced by Senator George Voinovich to strengthen and expand the Visa Waiver program. Click here for more on the support of Slaughter's legislation and click here for more on Voinovich's. To dowload a copy of the Blueprint to Discover America, click here.



CANADIAN ALLIES ENGAGED ON WHTI
TIA and TBR are working through the Canadian American Business Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to unite allies who support improvements to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Four Canadian Premiers will meet with TIA, TBR and their partners during a strategy luncheon February 27 in Washington, D.C. TIA members are encouraged to attend. Click here for details.

Valentine's Day in New York City was the perfect backdrop for a press conference on a first-of-its-kind national survey on the popular culinary travel niche market. The new report from TIA, in partnership with Gourmet and the International Culinary Tourism Association shows that 27 million travelers, or 17 percent of American leisure travelers, engaged in culinary or wine-related activities while traveling within the past three years. The future is bright for the culinary traveler market, as the share of U.S. leisure travelers interested in culinary travel in the near future (60%) is significantly larger than those currently engaged. Click here for press release.

Another Niche study conducted by TIA and partners, Harris Interactive® and Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc., has revealed that nearly half of all gay men and lesbians surveyed in the U.S. say that a destination's gay-friendliness is important to them when making leisure travel choices. Click here for more information on this survey.

How do you communicate the power of travel in your community or state? It’s no simple task for any destination. Travel’s value reaches far beyond traditional benchmarks, creating unseen benefits ranging from reduced taxes to civic pride. A guest article by Paul Serff, President and CEO of the Texas Travel Industry Association, in the newly released Tourism Works for America report illustrates key benefits to include when considering travel’s ROI. Serff writes: “Like the iceberg, the ROI of the travel industry is much more than what is visible, and some of the best lies ‘below the water line.’” Share this two-page article with boards, elected officials and stakeholders. Click here to download the PDF.

Recognizing innovative companies in the areas of technology, e-commerce and distribution, these awards will showcase the pinnacle of design, functionality, and technological achievement. Companies from across the travel industry, both new and established, are invited to submit their product and service innovations-or nominate the innovations of others-for consideration. Winners will be recognized during the awards breakfast on April 6. For entry guidelines and to download the entry form, go to www.tia.org/travelcom/innovatoraward. Deadline for submissions: March 12, 2007.

Networking is the name of the game at TravelCom. Connect with potential buyers pre, during and post show. Enhance your presence inside the TravelCommunity with an enhanced listing. Got a topic you would like to discuss, post it in the TravelCommunity Forum or join one of our speakers. Visit www.tia.org/travelcommunity to join.

Register for TravelCom by February 28 and save $500 off on-site registration!

The online appointment scheduling on powwowonline.com is now open for U.S. Suppliers. Go in now to build your prospect lists and start requesting appointments. Because mutual requests are given highest priority in scheduling, we encourage you to use this time to email the buyers with whom you wish to meet asking that they also request an appointment with you (to view a sample email click here). Remember, buyers are registering every day, so check back frequently to make sure you're not missing out. Changes to existing requests as well as additional requests can be made through March 9.


TRAVEL HORIZONS™ PRESENTS NEW RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY
TIA is pleased to announce the official start of its TravelHorizons™ survey, conducted in collaboration with Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell. This bi-monthly survey will track general attitudes toward travel, and provide up-to-the-minute perspective on hot-button issues like gas prices and passport requirements. The first wave is about to go in the field, and there are still sponsorships and subscription opportunities available, so don't miss out! For more information about this research opportunity, click here.