Travel industry leaders from across the country are poised to come to Washington September 26 and 27 for the 2nd Annual Travel Leadership Summit (TLS). The highly successful first event was instrumental in the passing of vital Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) legislative reform. This year, international travel promotion legislation is on the table and we have an opportunity to tilt the balance. TLS kicks off at 4 PM on Wednesday, September 26 with TIA National Chair Jay Rasulo, Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, outlining strategies to continue moving the travel industry agenda forward. Delegates then go to state-hosted dinners and receptions that were attended last year by more than 135 Members of Congress. Thursday morning begins with a point-counterpoint session featuring nationally known commentators Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson before delegates march to Capitol Hill to press the travel industry agenda. (Click here for the Priority Issues Brief). To learn more about TLS and register online, please visit www.tia.org/TLS.

The U.S. government has issued a reminder that the passport exemption for U.S. travelers reentering the U.S. by air will expire at midnight on September 30, 2007. The Department of State reports they have reduced the waiting time for passports from more than 12 weeks to between 6-8 weeks and are on target to have them at six weeks by the end of September. At this time, TIA does not feel it necessary to push for an extension of the passport exemption however, we remain concerned about future travel complications, especially the issuance of the new PassCards for land/seaport entry. For up-to-date information on all passport related issues, visit www.getapassportnow.com.

LAST CHANCE TO SAVE ON MARKETING OUTLOOK FORUM REGISTRATION
Register for the Marketing Outlook Forum by September 14th, save $100 on your registration and enter to win a “ride along” with a professional driver on the Lowe’s Motor Speedway. If saving money isn’t enough to get your engines started we added an additional half day of professional development sessions free to all MOF delegates, a great educational opportunity for you and your staff. Join the renowned Walt Disney Parks and Resorts team for practical and actionable sessions on “Identifying and Using Key Business Drivers” and “Disney Research Methods”. Also TIA’s National Council of Attractions (NCA) has put together four incredibly strong Outlook on Attractions breakouts that target the issues impacting attraction professionals from customer service and technology to making the most of a small budget. To learn more, visit www.tia.org/MarketingOutlook. The Westin Charlotte is selling out fast so book your room today at www.westin.com/charlotte.

JOIN US FOR INTERNATIONAL POW WOW'S 40TH ANNIVERSARY
Exhibitor registration is now open for TIA's 40th annual International Pow Wow in Las Vegas, May 31 - June 4, 2008. Members, register now and save $275 on individual registration during our early bird special. Take advantage of meeting with buyers and media that will expand your sales, increase your market share, generate high quality leads and strengthen customer relationships. You can't afford to miss it. Click here for further information and to register.

SEPTEMBER 10: DEADLINE FOR SOUTHEAST ASIA EXPLORATORY MISSION
This is the last chance to join TIA’s exploratory mission to Southeast Asia, October 5-12. The trip includes visits to Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam and will put you face to face with key players in the local travel industry and U.S. Embassy officials from each country. You will learn and evaluate their needs as well as your own. You will also have the opportunity to discuss your destination/product. To maximize the missions’ effectiveness space is limited to 15 participants so sign up today. Contact Bruce Bommarito today at bbommarito@tia.org for further information.

JOIN TIA IN SALUTING WORLD TOURISM DAY
TIA will join cities, states and nations around the globe in saluting World Tourism Day on September 27th. Developed by the U.N. World Tourism Organization, World Tourism Day provides an officially sanctioned marker within the year to share the power of travel and engage local audiences—from visitors and media to legislators and boards—on the unique role of travel and tourism. Resources to help you communicate, including a customizable news release with current tourism statistics and travel industry fact cards, will be provided within two weeks, but place September 27th on your calendars now and begin considering how you might be involved. For more information, visit www.unwto.org/wtd/index.php.

AUTOMATIC BULK POSTINGS FREE ON GETATRAVELJOB.COM
Calling all TIA members. Take advantage of this great member benefit by posting ALL your jobs for FREE!! Place your jobs in front of a targeted and qualified candidate pool. Futhermore, GetATravelJob.com supports automatic bulkposting of jobs as an alternative to entering jobs by hand. The process is simple and easy to set up, allowing your organization’s job tool to automatically transfer your jobs to GetATravelJob.com as soon as they are open. If you are interested in using this system, please contact Laura Uhart at luhart@tia.org for assistance. Visit www.GetATravelJob.com today and register as an employer to gain unlimited resume access.