“Portland
has a lot to offer tour operators in terms of specialty
travel—adventure, cultural, and wine and culinary—all with an eye
toward sustainability,” said Lisa Simon, NTA president, adding that
Portland’s youthful appeal plays to Contact’s
operator-to-operator strength. “Mutual mentoring in Portland will
enable older operators to learn about current trends and
technologies, while younger professionals can learn tried-and-true
business practices.”
Education
sessions tailored for operators are the backbone of Contact, and
networking and sightseeing events allow attendees to interact with
each other and to discover and develop new product. Next year’s
Contact will be the first located in the Pacific Northwest.
“Travel
Oregon and Travel Portland are thrilled about hosting NTA Contact
2014,” said Lisa Itel, global sales manager for Travel Oregon.
“Portland will be a fantastic host city, and we can’t wait to
capture the hearts of NTA with our quirky landmarks, farm-to-table
cuisine and world-class pinots.”
The
three-day retreat is slated for Aug. 7-9, 2014, and will be
headquartered at the DoubleTree by Hilton Portland. This year’s
Contact is in Hawai`i, the Big Island, on Aug. 15, 16 and 17.
