³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø celebrated its 50th anniversary by making a "50 Years Forward" commitment to advocate for and proactively guide travelers, members, and industry colleagues on a path toward greater sustainability and responsible practices. A number of major educational and awareness initiatives were launched including the Sustainability is Responsibility Summit, the first ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Future Lights of the Tour Industry, and Sustainable Suzie, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø's superhero for sustainable travel.
In January, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø kicked off the year by holding its Third Digital Marketing Academy. As soon as the Coronavirus pandemic halted international travel to/from the US in March, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø organized a meeting in Washington, DC with 11 travel industry associations to discuss key issues facing the travel industry. ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø conducted more than a dozen surveys throughout the year of tour operator and tourism board members to track trends, insights, and the impact on their businesses as a result of the pandemic. In June, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø collaborated with CATO and ETOA to create TOURCARE Guidelines for Tour Operators, a set of health and sanitization guidelines designed specifically for tour operator members. From December 1-3, the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Virtual Conference & Marketplace was held. Among the events and milestones, more than 5600 confirmed live one-on-one Marketplace appointments were conducted between members, two general sessions were broadcast live along with seven live continent market intelligence briefings.
³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø hosts the second Digital Marketing Academy, a one-day, immersive learning experience for Members.
The 40th ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Annual Conference & Marketplace takes place in 2018 to bring together travel companies, tourism suppliers, and destinations from across the globe.
³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Active Members represent nearly $19 billion in revenue and carry nearly 10 million travelers, according to the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø 2018 PwC Economic Impact Study.
Paula Twidale, executive vice president of Collette, is named the association's first female chairman.
³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø and Tripwing launch the packaged travel industry's first consumer review site to showcase Active Member itineraries on ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø.com.
³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø partners with MBA students from Cornell SC Johnson College of Business to create the "Packaged Travel Index", allowing ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø to survey travel consumers as the first of its ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Innovation Lab.
The first ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Congressional Caucus in Washington, DC, brings 50 members to visit elected officials on Capitol Hill to discuss regulations and issues that affect the travel industry.
³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø commissions its first Economic Impact Study with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which reveals that Active Members represent $10.3 billion and more than 6 million travelers in 2011.
Terry L. Dale is named President & CEO of ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø with the unfortunate passing of Robert E. Whitley after three decades of service. As the former president of Cruise Line Industry Association, Dale brings more than 25 years of travel and association experience to ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø.
Tourism Cares, formerly known as the Travelers Conservation Foundation, is formed by ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø and the National Tour Association to make a difference in communities in the U.S. through organized clean-up and restoration projects.
After the attacks of September 11, 2001, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Active Members provide millions of dollars in refunds to clients and help those traveling return home safely.
The Travelers Conservation Foundation is formed as the charitable arm of ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø to identify and provide funding to cultural, historical, and environmental sites in need of conservation and restoration.
The consumer protection fund becomes the ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø $1 Million Travelers Assistance Program that exists today. Each Active Member is required to set aside $1 million of its own funds specially to protect consumers' deposits and payments in the event of a company's bankruptcy or cessation of business. It is the first of its kind in the industry.
³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø focuses on government affairs, open borders, consumer and travel agent education, and tourism development.
Robert E. Whitley is named President of ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø and will go on to lead the organization for 32 years. With a distinguished career in tourism for both the private and public sectors, he will become one of the most influential voices in the travel industry.
Suppliers and related travel industry entities join ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø as "Allied and Associate" Members, as the first ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø Annual Conference & Marketplace is launched.
The first Out of Country Board Meeting is held in Tahiti with the goal to expand awareness of the destination and connect tour operators with local suppliers.
³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø announces the travel industry's first consumer protection fund and adopts the motto of "Integrity in Tourism".
³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø becomes a national organization of 38 members with its headquarters in New York.
³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø (³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø) is founded by a small group of California tour operators who recognize the need for a unified voice to protect the traveling public, as well as represent the interests of tour operators. In 1974, H. Don Reynolds, a former assistant director general of the Air Traffic Conferences for IATA, is named executive vice president.
