NTA’s 2010 Priority Advocacy Issues Include Focus on Entry/Exit Procedures, Travel Restrictions to Cuba
January 22, 2010
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Entry/exit procedures, opening Cuba for travel
and funding for destination marketing organizations and national parks are
among NTA’s eight priority advocacy issues for 2010. Although the
association’s government relations team will monitor all legislative
activity, these eight issues will receive top attention.
“Based on legislation that can either impede or help our members’ business
interests, the NTA Board determines these priority issues to set the focus
of the association’s government advocacy work for the coming year,” said
NTA President Lisa Simon, CTP.
The eight issues adopted by the NTA Board are:
Hotel occupancy tax issues U.S. entry and exit procedures, visa issuance
and the expansion of the Visa Waiver Program Marketing grants for
destination marketing organizations and nonprofit organizations Airline
policies that impact sellers of travel Lifting of U.S. travel restrictions
to Cuba Effective implementation of the Travel Promotion Act and the
creation of a high-level travel/tourism presence National Parks and public
lands access/marketing funds Passage of highway and Federal Aviation
Administration authorization billsThese issues will be discussed with
elected officials during the 2010 Grassroots Symposium, to be held Feb. 8-
10, 2010, in Washington, DC. Featured remarks of the Symposium are by
Congressman Bill Delahunt, (D-Mass), who is chief House sponsor of the
Travel Promotion Act and the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act.
The National Tour Association was established in 1951 as a unified voice to
advocate a friendly regulatory environment in which the newly formed
packaged travel industry could operate. Today, NTA’s government relations
activities include monitoring security issues, as well as state and federal
legislation and regulatory issues affecting the travel and tourism
industry. NTA maintains full-time representation in Washington, D.C., to
serve as the association’s voice on Capitol Hill to create a more positive
travel experience for travelers around the globe.
Global Rescue deploys medics and special ops veterans to aid in Port-au-Prince
January 14, 2010
Global Rescue has tasked a rescue team comprising former Navy SEALS and other security personnel as part of the emergency evacuation service’s mission to support its clients and relief efforts in the troubled Haitian capital.
Global Rescue’s team is led by a former Navy SEAL and a member of the Army’s Special Forces. Members of the team arrived in the Dominican Republic Thursday morning and are working to evacuate clients trapped in the debris by the region’s devastating earthquake. Their mission will also include the recovery of mortal remains The relief effort has been thus far hampered by a shortage of medical personnel and a deteriorating security situation.
If you have family or relatives trapped in Haiti, Global Rescue may be able to help. Contact the company’s operations center at 617-459-4200.
Global Rescue is an emergency services company that provides best-in-class medical, aeromedical evacuation, search and rescue and security services to individuals, corporations, travelers and expeditions worldwide. The company’s emergency response teams are comprised of paramedics, physicians and security personnel, many of whom are veterans of elite special operations units of the U.S. Military. Through an exclusive relationship with the physicians of Johns Hopkins, Global Rescue members also benefit from the advisory services of some of the world’s finest physicians. .
Recent examples of Global Rescue’s work include rescuing a safari client from Mozambique and dispatching a special operations team to Africa to protect and prepare to evacuate Americans from a country experiencing political unrest. Other recent missions include evacuations from Lebanon, The Republic of Georgia, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Mexico, Alaska, Argentina, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Thailand. For more information, visit www.globalrescue.com.
For press inquiries, please contact our press office at (617) 459 4200 or email press@globalrescue.com.
Disaster Relief Options for Haiti Following Devastating Quake
January 13, 2010
Update: President Barak Obama has just issued an email (12:39PM Pacific, Jan. 13, 2010) appeal concerning Haiti, and is using the White House Blog, Help for Haiti, to communicate ways in which you may assist Haitian relief efforts. Below are other organizations you may wish to support for the natural disaster in Haiti or for other crises worldwide.
Disaster Relief
Help those affected by natural disasters. The following organizations provide financial and/or in-kind assistance to those in need:
URGENT UPDATE:
International Red Cross and Red Crescent societies: www.redcross.org
800.HELP.NOW
World Vision: www.worldvision.org
888.511.6548
AmeriCares: www.americares.org or
800.486.4357
Doctors Without Borders: www.doctorswithoutborders.org
888.392.0392
Mercy Corps: www.mercycorps.org
888.256.1900
Oxfam of the U.K.: www.oxfam.co.uk
011.44.870.333.2700
Save the Children Federation: www.savethechildren.org
800.728.3843
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