U.S. Tour Operators Association Wraps Up 2019 with an Optimistic Outlook
经过大卫·科格斯威尔(David Cogswell)/
美国旅游经营者协会(USTOA)上周在奥兰多锦标赛的Omni Resort举行了年度会议,为其成员们结束了美好的一年。
It was a year when 69% of the association’s members saw an increase in business. Eighty-two percent of members are anticipating growth in 2020, while 45% expect a “boom year” with growth of 7-10% or more. And this is in an election year, though such growth predictions by tour operators are always accompanied by the caveat, “as long as nothing happens politically…”
Though it constantly attracts new members, the organization doesn’t want to grow to an unwieldy size. The association limits membership in an effort to restrain the growth that seems to come on as a natural force. But in 2019 the organization did welcome one new active tour operator member, Club Adventures, and 131 new associate suppliers members from 58 countries. Attendees to the conference represented 150 countries.
“The Power to Make a Difference”
今年的会议以“有所作为的力量”为主题。在开幕式上,USTOA总裁兼首席执行官特里·戴尔(Terry Dale)提供了有关该主题的选择的一些背景。
“It was about a week after we had our conference last year that I decided I want to use the theme ‘The Power to Make a Difference,’ because how many industries do you know that have that global impact, that can grow economies, create jobs, improve education and expand our customers’ awareness of different cultures around the world?
“因此,我们有能力有所作为。这就是我们本周庆祝的。而且我认为我们应该在确保我们的工作有助于扩大客户的体验方面保持谨慎和尊重。”
He added, “With great power comes great responsibility. Ultimately we have to be responsible for our customers but also for future generations and our actions that we take as USTOA members.”
Dana Santucci, vice president of EF Educational Tours and the chairman of the association for the last two years, expanded on the theme.
“To me we’re in a critical moment in time where things around the globe feel unsettled, the news is often scary, there are large-scale protest movements happening in different countries for different reasons,” she said. “Technology connects us more than ever but in many ways we feel more isolated, and our planet is suffering from climate change. The list goes on.”
桑图奇说,正如她想到的会议主题一样,她意识到通常很小的事情实际上会在世界上产生重大差异。对于她来说,其中一个关键时刻是当她的家人从墨西哥接待一名交换学生时,达娜还是个孩子。
“Gisela from Mexico came to our home at the end of summer,” said Santucci. “She was 15 years old and had never left home before. She spent the first two months in her room crying because she was so homesick. Then we had this crazy blizzard in Boston. She opened the door and saw the snow, then ran up to her room and stayed inside praying all day.”
最终,吉塞拉(Gisela)克服了自己的乡间活动,感到安全和照顾她的美国家庭,到圣诞节,她能够体验本赛季的快乐。后来,她回到美国,就读研究生院,嫁给了美国人,现在为低收入移民儿童开设了一所学校。
对于达娜来说,这是她第一次亲密接触另一种文化。“这表明我是如何从墨西哥养育一个年轻女孩的一个小决定,对我的家庭和世界各地的许多家庭产生了连锁反应。对于Gisela来说,这导致了将影响许多年轻移民儿童生活的职业。对于Dana而言,这导致了致力于文化交流和教育旅行的职业。
Santucci说:“我的观点是,我们所有人都可以实现改变的力量。”“有时候,那一小段时间会带来令人难以置信的差异。思考该协会成员在使世界变得更美好的地方所做的事情激发了我的灵感。当我们将人们聚集在一起时,真正的事情确实会发生。
“Tourism creates friendships, sparks mutual understanding, encourages commerce and helps us to find ways to celebrate our differences. More than 9 million people travel every year with USTOA members. Think of all the ripples we are creating around the world.”
进度报告
The USTOA uses its annual conference to provide a platform to connect with members and report on the progress and accomplishments of the year, as well as to provide a forum for business meetings among tour operator members and associate supplier members.
2019年的新闻很好:在USTOA的年度趋势和对成员的预测调查中,有67%的人报告说,他们在2019年携带的乘客人数增长,而52%的乘客人数超过了10%。
在乐观的情况下,当被问及哪些潜在问题涉及他们时,旅行社将选举年份排在首位,担心经济衰退第二和全球金融不安全第三。
目的地调查
Tour operators surveyed named Egypt, Croatia and Colombia as the top emerging destination. Egypt, a perennial favorite subject to periodic crashes, is re-emerging after a prolonged down time following the Arab Spring of 2011.
运营商将意大利投票为2020年的总体最爱,其次是法国,西班牙,希腊和英国并列第三。爱尔兰和日本并列第四,德国和南非并列第五。
加利福尼亚被选为最受欢迎的国内目的地,其次是纽约,佛罗里达州和内华达州并列第三名,亚利桑那州排名第四,阿拉斯加和夏威夷并列第五。
该调查还询问了旅行社,由于气候变化,人满为患或其他可能影响体验随着时间的流逝的情况,beplay银行卡他们将列为紧急的地方,然后将其列为紧迫的地方。在该名单上,南极洲的顶部或底部取决于您的看法,其次是马丘比丘,大堡礁和威尼斯。
旅游经营者将艺术和文化命名为2019年销售的最高驱动力,自然和野生动植物在第二次。调查中提到的三个主要趋势是当地沉浸式,小型船或小团体以及未知的目的地。beplay银行卡
60%的运营商报告说,其客户群的主要人口是婴儿潮一代,年龄在51岁及以上。20%的人报告说,他们的最高人口是35-50岁的年龄段。
新的领导结构
The organization announced its new roster of leaders for the next two years, topped by Charlie Ball, executive vice president of Holland America, who succeeds Dana Santucci vice president of EF Educational Tours as chairman.
The new vice chair is Scott Wiseman, president of Travel Impressions. The new treasurer is Elizabeth Crabill, CEO of CIE Tours International, and Madhvi Buch, senior vice president of The Travel Corporation USA, is the new secretary.
董事会的其他成员包括:
- Bob Drumm, president, Alexander + Roberts
- 佩里洛(Perillo)的学习旅程总裁卡罗尔·迪莫普洛斯(Carol Dimopoulos)*
- 塔克(Tauck)首席执行官丹·马哈尔(Dan Mahar)
- Goway公司事务总经理Emma Cottis*
- Jeff Roy, executive vice president, Collette*
- Avanti目的地首席营销官John Hanrattybeplay银行卡
- 总裁兼所有者Kirk Demeter在答案下
- Nish Patel,Mayflower Cruises&Tours总裁
- AAA独家假期的旅行空中运营商Ray Hourani,俱乐部冒险俱乐部冒险*
- Globus品牌家族总裁兼首席执行官Scott Nisbet
USTOA’s next major event will be itsDigital Marketing Academy2020年1月22日,在曼哈顿中城的斯图尔特酒店。