Dear NATJA Members,
As the year comes to an end, we reflect on the challenges that have affected so many, and how we, as an organization, have attempted to address them.
We have tried to help our membership by extending everyone’s renewal date by 2 months and reducing the fees for the awards competition.
We continue to hold periodic meetings for our DMOs, who are suffering from the devasting economic effects on tourism. Our meetings provide our members with an opportunity to share ideas and information and support one another as they navigate unchartered territory in destination marketing.
NATJA embarked on establishing a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Committee to address how we, as an organization, will work to further these efforts. Our committee is representative of all facets of our membership to ensure all voices are at the table. We have scheduled our first DEIA town hall for January 19th, 2021 at 11am PST/2pm EST, so make sure to mark your calendar!
On November 23rd, NATJA held its second virtual membership meeting where 68 members came together on Zoom for updates, to ask questions, and say hello to one another.
The most beautiful and successful TravelWorld International Magazine issue was released earlier this month. It has received rave reviews and increased our readership by 500%.
Having said all of this, I want to personally thank you all for your commitment and dedication to our organization. We are fortunate to have such a robust and engaged community. I use the term community because we are more than an organization of members. Over the last several months I observed how everyone stepped up to help one another during this pandemic, and how kindness shone through, lifting our spirits and helping us survive this most tumultuous year.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Vaccines are on the horizon which we hope will bring a sense of normalcy for 2021. I am sure we can all agree, “Good riddance 2020!”
Let’s begin the New Year in celebration of NATJA’s 30th anniversary and know that 2021 is destined to be a much better year!
Happy Holidays to all!
Helen Hernandez
Chief Executive Officer
