In This Issue

• Message from Mai
• CCRA Super Stars - CCRA's Top 20 Booking Agencies
• Rate Parity and Its Value to Both Hotels and Consortia
• Join the Discussion - Feedback from Previous Surveys
• Just What Are Your Customers Saying About You?
• Choice Hotels Teams Up With Rebuilding Together
• Tourism Cares Announces 2011-2012 Globus Special Grantees

Message from Mai

As we begin the swing into summer, I'd like to take the time to review some of the actions and activities that CCRA is implementing to promote suppliers like you to thousands of travel agents and travel agencies worldwide.

One-on-one selling is the most effective way to communicate with clients, and tradeshows offer an excellent opportunity to meet our customers face to face in a targeted sales environment. This year, members of our sales team have already attended seven agent oriented shows, with some of the major shows like ASTA, Vacation.com, GlobalStar and World Travel Mart still to come. Our message is consistent: "... hotels that participate in the CCRA Hotel Negotiated Rate Program value your business, and, through our Better than Best program offer the most competitive rates to professional agents."

In addition to our sales efforts, we continuously communicate with our agents through a monthly newsletter and weekly e-communications. With timely articles about travel trends, information on training and other special opportunities, as well as sales tips from industry experts like Bill Todd, CCRA's newsletter is well read and widely respected in the industry. Last month we initiated a new survey feature in all our communications. Who better to tell us what travel agents are thinking than ... travel agents!? Watch for survey results that will help you better understand this lucrative market.

Finally, it's hard to believe but it's already time to be thinking about 2012! Later this month, we will be unveiling our 2012 RFP. Watch for some great new marketing opportunities as well as many free options that any hotel can sign up for and use.

One last thought:
If you are interested in boosting your occupancies for the upcoming summer months (and who isn't?), be sure to check out our marketing opportunities at http://www.ccra.com/suppliers/supplier_individual.php. CCRA has a large leisure agent audience and they are a great target for boosting your summer sales.

Sincerely,

Mai Meyaart
Vice President and Managing Director

CCRA Super Stars - CCRA's Top 20 Booking Agencies

Earlier this month we recognized the top 20 CCRA booking agencies, naming them our "CCRA Super Stars". These agencies perform month after month for us and for you. They continually produce the highest numbers of transactions through the GDS using CCRA's negotiated rate codes.

To thank these agencies for their continued support of our negotiated rate program, we sent each of them monogrammed M&M dispensers filled with CCRA branded candies. We want to be sure these agencies and their agents recognize that booking CCRA rates is a "sweet deal," so we will continue to send these agencies M&M's throughout the year.

We're delighted to reach out to our agents through promotions like this, as well as various tradeshows throughout the year, and our weekly trainings and webinars. Our goal is offer you, our suppliers, continued support and to build top of mind awareness with these agents and agencies.

Rate Parity and Its Value to Both Hotels and Consortia

Lanyon's "Converge 2011" event was held in Reunion, Florida last month at the beautiful Wyndham Reunion Resort. Corporate Travel Managers and Hotel suppliers gathered to discuss the evolving technologies used to handle the RFP communication process. This essential process leads to billions of transactions in hotel data communicated between buyer and supplier throughout the year. Mai Meyaart, CCRA's Vice President and Managing Director of Hotel Program Solutions, was asked to present the consortia perspective at this very important event. If you would like to see the presentations from this event, please click here.

One of the key discussion topics raised during this event was the idea of rate parity and its value to both hotels and consortia. We'd like to hear our hotels express their opinion on rate parity and how it impacts their business. Please let us know if you like or dislike rate parity and the reason why by clicking on this survey site and we will post your collective answers in the next issue of Check In.

Join the Discussion - Feedback from Previous Surveys

In our last Check-in newsletter, as well as on our Facebook and Twitter pages, we asked the following questions:

Do you think the absence of American Airlines tickets from Orbtiz, Expedia, and Hotwire will drive more consumers to use travel agents? Do you think major hotel chains will follow suit?

The results were very interesting. 58% of the responses said, "Yes", to believing travel agent business will increase. And 64% said, "Yes", they think hotel chains will follow. A few responses hoped this decision would start a trend, and fully supported American Airlines' decision to leave these 3rd party sites.

Many hotels and chains have recognized that the reservations they receive from travel agents through the GDS are for significantly higher rated business (as much as 40% higher according to TravelClick), and travel agents are repeat customers. This year over 19,000 hotels have agreed to participate in CCRA's "Better than Best" program, and are offering agents a rate that is at least 5% off BAR.*

*If your hotel is not participating in Better than Best – it's not too late to join. For more information, please contact Jolene Volkart at jolene.volkart@ccra.com.

We thought you'd also like to know that in our newsletter designated to travel agents, we asked agents, "Do you think the absence of American Airlines tickets form Orbitz, Expedia and Hotwire will drive more consumers to use travel agnets?" 66% of respondents thought that the absence had already generated more business for them, while 33% of respondents didn't think it would give them more business.

Just What Are Your Customers Saying About You?
Written by: Bill Todd

One monumental challenge faced by all travel entrepreneurs is how to create a memorable marketing message that will cut through the clutter of the over 3,000 marketing communications being directed at consumers each day. In short, how do you stand out in a crowd that is teeming with competitors? Especially competitors who have been in business for years or have very deep marketing pockets.

One way to out-smart the out-spenders is to concentrate on increasing your brag index. Simply put, your brag index is the percentage of people, who after doing business with you, will voluntarily tell no less than 8 to 10 people about their positive experience at your hotel. When a business maintains a high brag index they've tapped into a powerful free resource called "word-of-mouth advertise." It allows them to reduce their marketing costs and increase their profit margins resulting in far higher net profits. By focusing on immediately increasing your brag factor travel entrepreneurs begin the lucrative practice of standing out in a sea of monotonous competitors.

Your objective is simple: to begin servicing your customers in a way that is so fresh and so innovative that you add a spark to their experience. A great way to start is to have your staff brainstorm on how to motivate your customers to brag about your service. You will be amazed how fun and easy it is to start doing little things in an extraordinary way. The result will be that your customers will become walking, talking billboards for your business. Revenue from referrals will begin to increase as your customers brag about you to their friends, co-workers and family members.

Bill Todd is one of 2010's most sought after sales motivational speakers and trainers.
He is the co-author with Stephen Covey of Speaking of Success. Todd has served as vice president of sales and industry marketing for Choice Hotels International, and was vice president of sales and marketing for Marriott International's Corporate Lodging Division.
BTodd@BTodd.com | www.BTodd.com | 301.633.5856

Choice Hotels Teams Up With Rebuilding Together

Choice Hotels International and Rebuilding Together have teamed up for a dynamic philanthropic partnership, funded by the Choice Hotels International Foundation. The partnership - named "Room to Rebuild" - is part of the ongoing commitment by Choice Hotels to strengthen the local communities in which their associates and franchisees live, work and provide hospitality.

Choice Hotel's ongoing dedication to Rebuilding Together's mission to assist low-income homeowners and preserve affordable homeownership has made an incredible impact on countless families across the country.

Since 2009, Choice Hotels has sponsored nearly 40 Rebuilding Together projects, in which more than 2,000 people were served, including CCRA's own Mai Meyaart who traveled to Indianapolis earlier this month to work with Choice in supporting the efforts of Rebuilding Together. To learn more about Room to Rebuild, click here.

Tourism Cares Announces 2011-2012 Globus Special Grantees
Four world treasures receive grant funding to continue their good works

Four exceptional sites have been selected as 2011-2012 Tourism Cares Globus Special Grantees. Tourism Cares, the tourism industry's premier charitable organization for preservation, conservation, restoration and education in tourism, made the selections.

Beginning in 2004, Globus, a worldwide leader in escorted travel, in partnership with Tourism Cares, has supported grants for the preservation and restoration of exceptional North and South American sites. The selected sites are highlights of popular Globus North American vacations, and for the first time, a site in South America has been selected, in Galápagos, Ecuador. The growing collection of sites represents the diverse geography and beauty of the world.

According to Phillip Gordon, President of Globus, "We at Globus feel a responsibility to preserve the sites that our customers go to such great lengths to experience. Globus supports the preservation and restoration of several of the great attractions in North and South America, including national monuments, historic sites and specific points in some of the most famous national parks."

"We are honored Globus is continuing its partnership with Tourism Cares for the eighth consecutive year through the Tourism Cares Globus Special Grant Program," said Bruce Beckham, Executive Director of Tourism Cares. "Their generous support helps us restore these significant sites around the world, helping us preserve the travel experience for future generations."

Fundación Galápagos Ecuador, Ecuador

Fundación Galápagos Ecuador, was created in 1998 by ETICA - Metropolitan Touring, a well known travel company in Ecuador, known as a leader in sustainability. The goal of the nonprofit organization is to involve the local community in understanding the Galápagos Islands, their islands, as well as protecting them. Their responsible tourism approach to environmental conservation has been a model adopted by many other tour operators in the local industry. The organization has received numerous awards and recognitions in recent years for actively setting new standards in Ecuador's tourism industry. The Tourism Cares Globus Special Grant will assist projects for environmental education for children, solid waste recycling and coastal cleanup.

Friends of World War II Memorial, Washington, DC

The mission of the Friends of the National World War II Memorial is to insure that the legacy, lessons, and sacrifices of World War II are not forgotten, to enhance the educational experiences of those who visit the memorial, to plan and support commemorative and celebratory events at the memorial, and to contribute to the continuing care of the memorial and its park-like grounds. To help achieve those goals, the organization is establishing a multifaceted educational program for student groups visiting the memorial to expand their understanding of World War II and enhance their appreciation of the memorial. Volunteers are being recruited and trained as docents, who will lead special educational tours of school groups. A web-based teacher guide and educational materials, that will assist teachers in presenting World War II history prior to their visits to the memorial, is also being developed. The Tourism Cares Globus Special Grant will support the Educational Enhancement Program at the National World War II Memorial, a site that receives more than 4.4 million visitors annually.

Parkway Partners Programs for Louis Armstrong Memorial Park,
New Orleans, Louisiana

Parkway Partners Programs was formed in 1982 to address city budget cuts that inhibited the ability of the city of New Orleans to care for its lush public landscapes and vigorous urban forest. The nonprofit organization empowers residents to improve the quality of life in the city by providing them with opportunities to create and maintain public green space. Named for jazz great Louis Armstrong, Louis Armstrong Memorial Park is a 32-acre park located in the Tremé neighborhood, one of the oldest in the city, and early in its history, one of free people of color. The park contains the 7,800-seat New Orleans Municipal Auditorium, the 2,100-seat Mahalia Jackson Theatre of the Performing Arts, Congo Square (an important venue for music festivals and a community events), and part of the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. The Tourism Cares Globus Special Grant will be used for continued care of the Louis Armstrong Memorial Park's dense canopy of live oaks. Parkway Partners Programs will monitor the condition of these iconic giants, to ensure they are not overwhelmed by infestation.

Yellowstone Association for Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

The mission of the Yellowstone Association, in partnership with the National Park Service, fosters the public's understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of Yellowstone National Park and its surrounding ecosystem by funding and providing educational products and services. The nonprofit organization was founded in 1933. The Tourism Cares Globus Special Grant funding will help support educational programming, including field seminars, group programs and private tours, to be based out of Yellowstone National Park's new educational facility, the Yellowstone Overlook Field Campus. The support allows the park to continue to instill in visitors a desire to preserve and protect Yellowstone's pristine wilderness landscapes, spectacular wildlife and magnificent geothermal features for generations to come.

Tourism Cares is a non-profit public charity whose mission is to preserve the travel experience for future generations. It accomplishes this by mobilizing the travel and tourism industry and travelers to give back to society through grants to natural, cultural and historical sites throughout the world; through academic and professional development scholarships for students of hospitality, travel and tourism; and through the organization of volunteer efforts to clean up and restore tourism-related sites in need of care and rejuvenation. For more information about Tourism Cares, please visit www.TourismCares.org.