| Downers
Grove, IL � July 2004 � Premier Tourism Marketing�s new association for
Group Travel Organizers, GO,
signed its 100th, 101st and 102nd members recently. It also has announced
an upcoming expansion of its member benefits package. GO is a community
of group travel organizers interested in improving themselves and their
travel programs. The philosophy of GO is that by working together, networking,
learning and matchmaking, members can do more together than they could
working on our own. Currently GO (www.goexperience.com)
has 43 independent tour operators, 26 bank travel clubs, 12 senior centers,
10 travel clubs, 8 travel agencies, 2 religious travel groups, and one
park & recreation department. They operate over 4100 overnight tours
and 86% cruise. In total, they represent well over $20 million in overnight
travel each year.
�We
are tremendously pleased by the response to GO, which just started taking
applicants last November. Our subscribers had suggested the need for an
association that provided real benefits to group organizers and we organized
GO around those needs. Our mission now is to expand both the membership
rolls and the benefits package to continuously improve our offerings,�
according to John Kloster, GO�s President. GO members can earn back many
times their $95 annual dues investment by using just one of GO�s many programs.
For example, members currently selling the travel insurance program are
earning on average over $150 per month each.
To
commemorate the 100 member milestone, GO gave away free dues for the 100th
applicant. Gretchen Huffman from Peoples Savings Bank in Urbana, Ohio,
was the lucky winner and will have her dues check returned.
Having
reached this milestone, GO has initiated a series of new member benefits
that will be rolled out through the summer. The first is a group-rate cruise
program, which will offer members the lowest prices in the marketplace,
along with special group amenities guaranteed. In addition, GO is developing
marketing support materials, which will give members a turn-key marketing
program to support their sales of GO group cruises. Second, GO is in the
planning stages for the first annual GO conference, planned for fall 2005
in a central U.S. city. Tentative plans have also been made to hold a conference
this fall, also in a central location. This year�s conference, if all works
out, would be held in conjunction with another large travel organization.
Finally, GO is developing a member web site program. Essentially, GO will
develop a series of group travel templates from which members can choose,
along with a vast photo gallery to enhance the appearance. Members can
then post their own trips on their own sites.
About
Premier Tourism Marketing
Premier
Tourism Marketing is the leading publisher of trade journals, web sites,
e-newsletters and association services for the group travel industry, with
a world-wide audience of 27,000 group travel organizers.
For
more information, visit www.premiertourismmarketing.com.
For more information specifically about GO, or to apply for membership,
visit www.goexperience.com.
Contact:
John Kloster
johnk@premiertourismmarketing.com
630-964-1431 |
