LEXINGTON, Kentucky, USA – National Tour Association (NTA) members recently completed the association’s Fourth Quarter 2010 Economic Snapshot Survey. Along with a positive outlook for 2011, the survey findings highlight a year of recovery for many members – tour operators, destination marketing organizations (DMOs), and tour suppliers.
Among NTA tour operators, 30 percent reported increased sales of between 10 and 24 percent in the last quarter of 2010; another 11 percent report increases up to 10 percent, and 28 percent reported sales volume as unchanged. And some operators hit home runs to close out the year: 9 percent reported increases of 25 to 50 percent, and 3 percent saw increases of more than 50 percent.
NTA’s DMO members also had good news to report. The number of DMOs who saw an increase in visitors jumped 37 percent over the second quarter of 2010, going from 51 percent to 70 percent. Tour suppliers remained relatively flat from the second quarter to the fourth quarter last year, with 55 percent reporting increases in the second quarter and 53 percent reporting the same in the fourth quarter 2010.
When asked to project their sales volume for the first quarter of 2011 compared to 2010, tour operators were optimistic. Although 39 percent estimate sales volume will be unchanged over the same quarter of 2010, 43 percent predict growth: 14 percent are projecting an increase of up to 10 percent, 24 percent foresee increases between 10 and 24 percent, and 5 percent project big increases of 25 to 50 percent. Add to that another 3 percent who believe they’ll experience a 50 percent increase or more over the previous year, and these projections surpass the operators’ reported sales volume of the first quarter 2010.
Both DMO and supplier member projections for the first quarter of 2011 put them above the visitor numbers reported for first quarter 2010. For DMOs, though 40 percent believe their visitation will remain unchanged, another 40 percent expect increases of up to 10 percent, and 13 percent expect gains of between 10 and 24 percent.
On the supplier front, 20 percent believe they’ll see at least a 10 percent increase in the number of visitors, 17 percent are projecting increases of between 10 and 24 percent, and 8 percent foresee gains between 25 and 50 percent. Just over a third (37 percent) expects their number of visitors will be unchanged.
ABOUT NTA
With members in more than 40 countries, NTA is the leading business-building association for travel professionals interested in the North American market – inbound, outbound, and within the continent. Its buyer members are tour operators and tour packagers who buy and package travel products from around the world. Its seller members are destination marketing organizations and tour suppliers (such as hotels, attractions, receptive operators, and transportation companies) from the US, Canada, and more than 40 countries. If you’re interested in any segment of the North American market, you belong at NTA. For more information, visit www.NTAonline.com .
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:
- On the supplier front, 20 percent believe they'll see at least a 10 percent increase in the number of visitors, 17 percent are projecting increases of between 10 and 24 percent, and 8 percent foresee gains between 25 and 50 percent.
- 14 percent are projecting an increase of up to 10 percent, 24 percent foresee increases between 10 and 24 percent, and 5 percent project big increases of 25 to 50 percent.
- Tour suppliers remained relatively flat from the second quarter to the fourth quarter last year, with 55 percent reporting increases in the second quarter and 53 percent reporting the same in the fourth quarter 2010.
