iatm americas newsletter summer 2012
DESCRIPTION
Current newsletter for IATM Americas 2012TRANSCRIPT
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TOUR MANAGERS LTD
Ms. Carole Seidelman, 345 W 58th St., Apt. 3-A
Phone: 1 646 338 7219 Email: [email protected]
IATM Americas
NEWSLETTER nr.1, 2012 Dear Colleagues: It is already June, and I hope this newsletter finds you busy, or with a desired respite! There is much to tell you, I don't know where to begin. But let's start with OUR BIRTHDAY. We, IATM, turned 50 this year, and our GOLDEN CONVENTION in Lisbon was great fun-‐-‐we are sorry not to have seen more of you. You can read about the fabulous palace visits, the VIP dinner in the castle on the hill, and more details in the Bulletin from IATM Central Office, London, already e-‐mailed to you. The pre-‐Congress tour to Northern Portugal was a big success, and the guide for the pre tour, Helena, also graced us with her charm during the Congress as well. She gave an enlightening presentation on the state of Portugal, making sure that we understood that Portugal is not Greece....Both countries are magical. (On a personal note, I was astounded to learn how low the minimum wage is in Portugal).
The Tourism Ministry was happy to see us and gave us a hearty welcome. I was also thrilled to have such contacts again, to sit amongst colleagues and be a tourist among professionals! For me, it had been so long, fifteen years, since my last IATM Congress. I HIGHLY recommend them as well as the local meetings. They are truly a way for us to meet each other, explore an area and eat well in good company, and they are one of the best aspects of membership in our association. There were, as you may have heard, some 'issues', just as there are questions now about the past and the future. There is no point in harping on what was. I can only start where I came in, and we want all of us to look forward! We all want to commend those who worked hard before us, and we have a new board, in fact the whole association has had three chairs in one year (Scott resigned, Signe took over and now Jayne Pagan, of the Pacific Region is our new Chairman of the Board). However, our region is not without difficulties, and we will look at this later. The difficulties may have started with the loss of Jo Curran, who was a one person show. Such a situation has pluses and minuses. Jo’s energy and devotion were unparalleled. AND, her service was in mostly pre digital computer times. Most of what she did and how she did it, went with her on her ‘last big journey’, as she put it. Scott stepped in, already Chair, and became disillusioned when the Golden Convention was not chosen in South America. He since has left the association, as you know, taking with him his website for the association, and the publishing of the newsletter, for which he was paying his wife. There was also confusion about membership in 2011, as according to my predecessor, Jo would sent out membership cards BEFORE people had paid. So the result was that during all of 2011, IATM Americas NEVER paid Central office for the members, and we don’t even know how many there were. We also owe funds! We have already paid half of the £1,600 back, and we still have the other half left. We have under $2,400 with which to work right now! That is not a whole lot, but we’ll see what happens in the coming months….For this reason, we have not made a decision on a website, and the news bulletin will be less elaborate. About $150 has been spent on postage, photocopies, making labels, updating files, and about $250 was spent in Lisbon, including contributing to a fund for a gift for an important staff member (see below). OUR FUNDS are short, but this is not the first time. Hopefully, we can re-‐ coup in the fall, with memberships and we might think of FUNDRAISING, both on a regional level, in some cases, and on an association level. IATM Americas, however, has elected to
spend a little to do some PR and take care of some administrative costs! Whatever we spend is still considerably less than immediately prior. The association is 50, at once MIDDLE AGED, yet at the same time, GOLDEN....How is an association at once in its GOLDEN years, with all that that implies: looking toward quiet times, pondering on past accomplishments, and MIDDLE AGED, at the same time? Middle age is a time of crossroads, of putting together years of experience and wisdom to go forward and set the path for those who come after. This is the situation we face: at once chronologically not old, somehow, however, not quite sure what future generations want, or who they are. Looking at my own history, for example, when I joined IATM almost thirty years ago, I was on the younger side. Most other members were slightly older than me. We grew together, and what has happened is that IATM has mostly, but not exclusively, golden age or not too far from golden age, members! The most difficult hurdle facing us all, in my opinion, is not enough turnover in the association. Is that because, in fact, the best tour directors and guides are not young? One is often better at 45 than at 25, in most of life's endeavours, and many of our tourists are not that young, either. So perhaps the match is right! Travel, especially the packaged and group travel market, sees mostly 35 yr olds, excepting student travel, which is a whole other arena. Is it that what we do attracts fewer younger people today than before? That could be a real possibility. In our field, experience is a good thing, life experience alone adds to what one can give to the field. This is food for thought, and hopefully, there will ensue dialogue. IATM has been the beacon of tour associations, and is a FIRST class group, no matter how you cut the cake! We are a knowledgeable and capable group!! Just belonging to IATM is an honour in itself, and if one is in IATM, already a certain standard has been acquired. We know when we talk to each other, that we all speak the same language. We may be witnessing some fragmentation at this point. What do we mean here? We mean that there seem to be so many local guiding associations, especially in our region, that sap up our membership! We, IATM Americas have a huge geographical reach, we encompass a whole continent and we are dispersed across thousands of miles. We cannot just all 'get together' at the pub down the road or downstate. In the UK, members of IATM can easily get together, almost everybody is nearby. In our region, it clearly is appealing to join an association in Denver, or Toronto, or Washington, or SF, or Florida. Funnily enough, it is through
the efforts of IATM members way back when that a good number of these guiding associations exist today. What we want to keep in mind is that whereas local guide associations may have some tour directors, WE HAVE BOTH! We are local and transnational, and or international, as I have noted previously. We must be aware at this time to keep ourselves aware of the differences between 'guiding' and 'tour directing, tour managing, tour escorting' (There is more to be said about this point). This is one of the issues facing the industry and the association right now. How can we all best stay in touch with each other? How can those on the West Coast stay in touch with those on the East Coast, or in the South, or in Canada, and there, too, there is East and West and Quebec and non-‐Quebec (!). Can we have meetings? Will we attend? IATM would like to see the Americas Region host either the CONGRESS in 2014 or the INTERNATIONAL WEEKEND in 2015! THIS WOULD be great. To do so, we need to have our region ON ITS FEET, up and going! MANY of you have inquired about a meeting this year, and the PERFECT time would be right before the DUBLIN weekend this January! That way, we could even leave together from the East Coast. One of our current goals is to have more participation at meetings from our region. Your presence would be so very welcome—for you to have a chance to meet colleagues from the association outside of our region, and even from within our region, and to reap the most from your membership! We also would like, in fact, to see more members, of course, and more members from all of the Region….. ON this note here is a good time to once again meet your current AMERICAS REGION Board: CA SEIDELMAN, Chair e mail: [email protected], Frederick VERKEMPINCK Vice Chair e mail: [email protected] James SAUNDERS Treasurer. E: [email protected] Secretary is open…..Elaine PHILLIPS is assisting with PR and Canada And in London, for IATM Central, 397 Walworth Rd London, SE 17 2AW England Tel: 020-‐7703 9154 Fax: 020-‐7703 0358 e mail: [email protected] CENTRAL OFFICE is run by RON JULIAN, General Manager
Joanna Pilinska is membership Secretary, Asia assists IATM Hon. Pres: Simon Ackroyd (BR) IATM Board of Directors: Jayne Pagan, Chair, of IATM and of the Pacific Region Uri Riklin, Treasurer, Israel Region Colleen Main, CTM, Secretary, BR) CA Seidelman, AM Slyvia D’Amato, CER Fernando Aversa, CTM, IT Anne-‐Grethe Ottesen, NOR Country chairs (not enough members to be a region); BEL, Georges van Houtryve; FR, Gerard Venet, NETHERLANDS, Mustafa Arikan; POR, Carlos Carvalho; SP, Bozo Fistanic;TAIWAN, J.Y. Shian, Allied Counselor, Allison MEYER SILVER BIRTHDAY! Ron Julian has just been honored for TWENTY FIVE years of dedicated service to IATM !We are endebted to him for keeping Central Office on track, for keeping all the regions up to date, and for being committed and selfless, cutting his own salary in tough times. IATM is truly thankful for Ron’s service, and are sorry there won’t be another twenty five years! Ron was offered a travel ticket to Denmark with his wife, who is Danish! They should be there now, as you read this bulletin! Thanks to Jayne Pagan, our new Chair, and Colleen Main from the UK, for organizing Ron’s gift!! The Digital directory has been updated, and you will find all our members’ (hopefully correct) information! Our Region is current, and corrections and omissions have been amended! We also want to WELCOME AFFLIATE Member, Roxanne SNEL 15749 Sandtrap, Morrison, Colorado 80465 tet: 1 303 697 1746 , e mail: [email protected] Let’s keep in mind each bringing one member on board. As of Sept, membership is paid once and is good through 2013! We absolutely want to increase our membership. I have a list with at least 20 names of colleagues, some of whom have been members before. If you would like to know some of the names, give me a hoot and we can discuss how best to reach out to potential members! If you have any ideas on membership and on fundraising, also send them through. (Regarding members, see the discussion at the end of the bulletin under AFFAIRS and DATES).
And now, let’s get started with some articles.
Firstly, I wanted to share something with you, something we all know or knew somewhere, instinctively, and something that pertains to what we a lot of us do…As I am never sure about copyright, here is part of an article on BILINGUALISM that appeared in the NYTimes on March 17 of this year. If you Google and look under the word, Bilingualism, in the Times archives, you will find at least one article per year, if not more.
Charles Berlitz, who founded the Berlitz language schools, used to say that speaking more than one language is like having more than window to look out of. One has an advantage, and a broader point of view, no doubt. Here is an excerpt of an article by a ‘New York Times’ journalist that appeared in March of this year. Her name must be Judith in Hindu, I think. What this article tells us is that people who speak more than one language may be more in tuned with what is going on around them, be quicker at solving problems and stay saner longer in old age….However, although perhaps some multi lingual tour directors and guides MAY have honed in people skills, there are situations at times that no one can master, and dementia may come on earlier, anyway, from having to deal with all the tourists!! Ha ha ….Happy Reading, there are a variety of topics covered,
Carole Anne
“SPEAKING two languages rather than just one has obvious practical benefits in an increasingly globalized world. But in recent years, scientists have begun to show that the advantages of bilingualism are even more fundamental than being able to converse with a wider range of people. Being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter. It can have a profound effect on your brain, improving cognitive skills not related to language and even shielding against dementia in old age.
This view of bilingualism is remarkably different from the understanding of bilingualism through much of the 20th century. Researchers, educators and policy makers long considered a second language to be an interference, cognitively speaking, that hindered a child’s academic and intellectual development.
... It forces the brain to resolve internal conflict, giving the mind a workout that strengthens its cognitive muscles. “…
The key difference between bilinguals and monolinguals may be more basic: a heightened ability to monitor the environment. “Bilinguals have to switch languages quite often — you may talk to your father in one language and to your mother in another language….”The Benefits of Bilingualism - NYTimes.com www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/.../the-benefits-of-bilingualism.htm by Yudhijit Bhattacharjee staff writer. THINK ABOUT learning another language, or relearning one you sort of knew. It is a fun exercise, opens your mind and may wake up a hidden interest. Having language skills gives one an edge over those without.
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With it is an international place, with many languages, and its own quirky accent and expressions, New York speaks for itself. However, take note below:
NEW YORK, NEW YORK! We all love the BIG APPLE, and while AIRBORNE between Brussels and Lisbon on Brussels Airlines, I was pleased to read that the young, ten year old company, Brussels Airline, will be starting a daily flight between Brussels and NY in June, its first run to cross the Atlantic. The cover story of in flight magazine, b.there ! was about New York. The article, ‘A Taste of the Big Apple’, was written by the London based editor of the magazine, Jean Wright. (The magazine is published by a company in the UK called ‘Ink’.) Crisscrossing Manhattan, from Harlem to the Village, to the trendy new, Highline, Wright hit the hot spots. But she did it not with the knowledge and experience of professional guides, but with unlicensed volunteers who are associated with local ‘greeters’, retirees who show you their city! (Many of whom, incidentally, go on to become licensed guides and to work with tour operators, or independently). You can be sure that yours truly was as shocked as you to see this. I
phoned Ms. Wright, and expressed my indignation at the orientation of the story. We exchanged e mails after as well.
Mainly, I tried to convey the idea that there is no reason to leave out a whole and vital sector of tourism! An airline flying from Europe is a partner in tourism, and should be promoting guides. After all, tourists pay to fly to the city, they pay to stay in hotels, they pay for boat rides, transportation, and food. Why should they be advised to ‘have free visits’? Why privilege a free service, that can not even handle groups and that is not professional? I communicated that a story that at least suggests several options would be more valid, and that the reader is being denied a whole area of knowledge and experience to which he or she could avail himself!! An article that presented more than one option of visits is more just. What I sensed was that Ms. Wright indicated that the City of New York had steered her in that direction! (which is only half the story, I think….), via websites, but she did the research and the trip herself. There is work to be done, no doubt. Here is part of an e mail to Ms. Wright, following my call to her.
Dear Ms. Wright,
I just phoned you. I wanted to follow up. I I like the magazine and am happy to see another
Brussels Airline routing Brussels-New York. Your enthusiasm for the Big Apple is well communicated in the article. I know that you understand that we all want to promote tourism and travel. One would aim for 'professionalism' tour guides (some guides start as greeters, and 'grow' into professional, 'real guides').
It is one thing to promote visiting a city with or via a friend, a 'personal' friend. That is fine, perhaps alongside a true service. The flight to New York is not for free, nor is the hotel, unless accommodation is with a friend. Why, then, should the sightseeing promoted by a major airline, from an important European country, start trips to New York, and leave out an ENTIRE sector of the hospitality industry? Could you envisage a cover story of the magazines of British Airways or American Airlines, for example, inaugurating a new service between London and New York and not mentioning the existence of the marvelous Blue Badge guides?? I can imagine that if I had written an article about Brussels that somehow, in all good intentions, bypassed guides or certains venues, that I would have the EU on me!!
Many cities have 'volunteers', and that is fine, but to be fair, those whose livelihood are invested in helping others discover the city they love, should be included There are visitors who do not even know about guide services available in New York.. Why should a visitor be steered to 'retired' volunteers?? Your readers deserve to be informed about as many possibilities as possible. Tourist guides already suffer a loss of revenue due to such services, and to be honest, many of the greeters do not even have a tour guide license, so that if more than seven people were to convene with them at one time, it would be against the law. So
while the suggestions can be made for individuals, there are limits. Hopefully, you will see group travel as well on the Brussels-NY run.
The' agency, NYC and co (GO NY), promotes its member the Guides Association of New York, GANYC, a non profit association, who could have been contacted, as well. And there is a parent association, based in London, with a branch here, as well, IATM.
When the editorial board is choosing topics and content, there are many areas to check. In this case, it might have been worthwhile to consider the view described here: t hat it is important to include and promote as many sectors of an industry as possible, and volunteers are limited, is it even a ‘sector’? Concerning other possibilities, including 'guided' visits and 'twinning', such as residents whose ancestors landed in” Manahatta,” the runway has a lot of space.
I would be happy to offer my thoughts and or other information, and remain at your disposal. This information will be passed on to colleagues, who may also express their viewpoints.
Sincerely Yours, Carole Anne Seidelman Current Chair, IATM Americas
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Speaking of the Guides Association of New York, they had elections in the fall that were truly shameful, the kind associations should avoid, and they included a letter writing campaign by a sitting officer, endorsements of one broad member over another,, making accusations on the forum. In the end, it is all mostly about personal vendettas and egos. The WFTGA has guidelines, and all member associations should be held to the same rigor and standards! The tour industry is especially vulnerable, but overall seems to be in most cases applying good sense to the use of forums and website. IATM, too, has seen the internet pose its own problems.
In the end, though, it is the wise judgment of members that must prevail.
The Guides Association of New York, founded by IATM members and until a few years ago called, the NY Multi lingual Guides Association, is almost an exclusively English language association, made up of mostly people relatively new (ten years or less) to the profession. On its current executive board of nine people, there is not one multi lingual guide (one or two may have some knowledge of another language, yet work exclusively in English). There is barely a long time tour director or travelling guide, and those that are there, are the older
members (not in age, necessarily, but in time). No longer is GANYC about international, intercultural exchange. The visits to New York sites and the study tours are still of value, thank goodness. Perhaps what we are seeing is merely a sign of the times and an example of the fragmentation mentioned above…There are however, people in GANYC who have been, or should be, amongst us…..The quandary is how to bring them over to a place where they would feel at home, and which they could join whilst remaining in GANYC as well. The two are not mutually exclusive.
REGARDING NEW YORK, NEW YORK, again, there is currently an unclear situation surrounding the WTC (the World Trade Center, incorrectly still referred to and known, as Ground Zero), and the 9/11 Memorial. The Memorial, opened as of September 11, 2011, is ON the grounds of the World Trade Center, but is an entity and procedure unto itself that must be reserved ahead of time for individuals and groups. There is no cost, but there is a time factor. A visit to the Memorial is, depending on the lines and the time of day, at least almost two hour effort, which needs to be included in the planning. It is possible to SEE the area, view where the memorial is and not go inside. It is also possible to include the viewings in a tour of lower Manhattan and/or, the Financial District. Agents, operators and even guides, however, are having trouble discerning what exactly is the procedure and what people want.
What has to be ascertained is what, exactly, are the wishes of the visitors, and what is possible? Can they visit the Memorial, if that is what they were thinking? They need a reservation, often obtainable without difficulty (one can reserve ahead of time on line, or check at the 9/11 Visitors Center on Vesey street, by St. Paul’s Chapel, on the morning of the desired day to see if there is space, in which case, a guided visit of anything else would be probably not feasible). Or, a walking or coach tour around the area can be accomplished. In any event, to do both the Memorial and a general visit, such as to the Chapel and to the Winter Garden, would usually take more than the standard FOUR hours…..What is going on at the WTC site is truly not being understood at this point and most probably, it will result in the Memorial and surrounding areas evolving into a visit in and unto itself, as is a trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (despite the Statue’s being under construction), or an excursion to Alcatraz).
Very few people know that the Memorial itself is an endeavor between New York City, State and Federal Commissions, and with heavy participation and consultation by the CNRS (Centre National de Recherche Scientific, National Scientific Research Center) in France! The same effort and energy that produced the MUSEUMS at CAEN in Normandy are sought to secure an understanding in New York. If you know the landing beaches and museums, especially the CAEN Museum, opened in the eighties, you know that the Caen Memorial actually not only is a memorial, but is instructive in the communication and transmission of history to future generations. It is one thing to create a reminder of and to the past. It is quite another to make sure that those who come after can truly appreciate and fathom the scope of what has happened, and hopefully, avoid it. In other words, it is PREVENTITIVE therapy!
The CAEN MEMORIAL was a welcome and later addition to an already fine and emotional landscape. The 9/11 Memorial should aim to be as good: already there are younger people for whom 9/11 is beginning to lose its connexion, as we approach the eleven year mark. One would not think so, but it is the case.
For me, the event will never be forgotten, as it was marked by personal tragedy. Where were you when 9/11 happened, and what can you remember about how it affected you personally, and professionally?
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ANIMAL PLANET: Do you like cows? I like to see them, grazing away in the fields. They look so peaceful, it is almost a pity to want to eat them. Passengers often remark that they don’t see many cows in the States, but they are mistaken. We have plenty on the Continent.
FYI Did you know that there are about 1.3 billion cattle on Earth, divided into two subspecifies?They are the ‘ taurine’ and the ‘zebu’. We mostly know Taurines, whose milk we drink and whose flesh make our steaks, whose skin, some of our shoes and some of our clothes. Modern Science tells us that EVERY ONE OF the cows we see in the world can trace its ancestry back 10,500 years to a single herd of about 80 of the now extinct ‘auroch’, a wild ox. Cattle today share much of the same DNA found in ancient bones of auroch type animals in today’s southeast Turkey. Originally, aurochs were much more aggressive, but were domesticated by humans so that they would be more easily available to us…One anecdote is that we did not see the MAD COW in North America, and could that be a credit to our Agriculture Department??
Domesticated sheep, pigs and goats all come from that same area—what is present Turkey….In fact, even though animals today have many varieties, most all started with a very small sample. There were even fewer wolves who morphed into every dog from the Yorkshire to the Rottweiler!
I remember, however, reading an article recently that said that there are so many dog breeds that it is impossible to determine when exactly, dogs became domesticated and how many breeds there are. (And you may have noticed that there are new breeds popping up right and left: there is the adorable Golden Doodle, a mixture of a lab and a large poodle, which is meant to be a smart and not so shedding dog, with a good disposition; there is the puggle, a cross between a beagle and a pug; and there is a dachgle (?), a beagle and a dachshund. The ever popular, I think the dog of the moment in both Europe and here, Jack Russel, was at its origin, a cross of beagle and smooth haired fox terrier. And the beagle itself, used to be an all white dog called a Talbot….. ) What continues to surprise me is the way some coyotes seem to just wander around humans calmly, whereas feral cats dash away! There appear to be quite a few people, especially in Northern California, who are breeding wolf mixes, or pure
JUNE 14th, Flag Day is just behind us and I saw flags out in abondannce!. It is the same day every year, always June 14th. However, Father’s Day in the US this year was June 17th, and will be June 16th, next year, in 2013. It is always on a Sunday. Father’s Day in Spain is in September, in Norway, in November, in Pakistan, and was in May in Germany! So, somethings are not, or have not been, globalised! Thank goodness! Such variety keeps the card companies wealthier, as they make more cards, and hopefully, would remind us more often to think of our fathers! This also brings to mind that not only should we be aware of any birthdays or anniversaries of clients in our groups, but also, be aware of any holidays that could be happening for international visitors whilst on tour with us! They would feel most honoured. . Speaking of flags, do you recognize these flags?
One of these is very easy, and one is very often mistaken for another place, on another continent and is even unknown to locals (who often mistake it for that same other country!) Flags and flowers reveal a lot about a place, often showing the history, and/or, the penchants of those in charge at the time of the creation of the flag! For example, the California Bear is a mini history lesson of the State! Funny about bears, by the way, who gave their names to Bern in Switzerland and Berlin, Germany! (answers to the flags will be announced later).
wolves as house pets!
At the same time that different breeds evolved, so did domestication. Dogs have been bred domestically and with great variety for the longest time, yet cat domestication goes back only 150 yrs, scientists say, and there are 16 foundation breeds of cat. Cats, it seems, have succeeded in domesticating man….!! FYI, and talking about genetics, it seems that ALL IRISH are descended from 5 women and 4 men……!! Coming up: Horses and more about cats. Source: Man’s Best Friend, Kevin Sherry, article, NYPost 4/29/2012
Question to ponder: do you think Tour Directors and Guides are more Dog lovers or Cat lovers, and/or, does it matter? Which do you like better? How about our drivers??
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Don’t forget to bring out the flags, along with well wishes, for your guests in July and August, too. Starting with our own flag on Independence Day, July 4th, there is Bastille Day, on July 14th, and Belgium’s National Day on July 21st (4-14-21), followed by early August’s Swiss Day, usually around the same time as Assumption (August 15th).
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We have YET another birthday this year: A grand old Lady and ICON is 75! If you have not seen the renovations at the Golden Gate Bridge, you will see them now. The new ‘plaza’, as it is called on the SF side was just opened and dedicated at the end of May. Opinion seems to vary from ‘who cares?’ to why? And it is controversial, but not important enough to make a difference, as even if the architecture and styling is not wonderful, the icon itself speaks for itself! In the words of San Francisco Chronicle writer, John Kling, “When a building project that could be great is only good, it’s maddening---especially when it stands at the entrance of one of our society’s truly great public projects, the Golden Gate Bridge’. (source: SF Chronicle, Friday, May 25, 2012). The new work did, however, cost $6 million, which is a lot of public money! And money that could have been used more urgently for the ailing California University system, if you ask me! I have not decided what I think yet, but there is a new National Park Visitor Center with the ubitiquitious National Park memorabilia all over the shelves, and the same park products right by the Strauss monument. It is positive that the color and style are in keeping with the Art Deco motif. Was this needed? Who knows? But nothing is the same forever, at least not for a while! Hard to believe that the ‘bridge that could not be built’ was even built and is passing to its Golden Years. A brisky walk across the great dame was invigorating, but I would not want to do that as a steady diet! By the way, what bridge looks like the GG, and was modeled on it?? The National Park Service has an amazing history, and I have always thought we should be closer to them. If you have access to the NPS series by Ken Burns on the park, watch it. In fact, it is also excellent to screen for English speaking guests, available at SHOPPBS.org. ON SALE through July 2 is a USA supplement to the Parks, in conjunction with National Geographic (another great supplier of amazing information that can contribute to what we share on tours, as you know). There is a picture and story on Ken Burns, who is at the Arches with his daughter.
His film company, incidentally, is based in Vermont, one of the most beautiful places in the country and where I spent a large part of my childhood winters. (Robert Redford is in Utah, not Colorado, where it would seem more logical). What is unusual about Burns’ documentary, and I remember the controversy around it when it was in preparation, and then aired, is that it tries not to be a
travelogue….It is not like the National Geographic that just came out with the 25 Best coastal drives in the world (most of which, at least those cited in North America, such as Big Sur and the Maine Coast, are difficult, not allowed or too long for coach tours). Rather, Burns and his team wanted to recount the parks’ “relatively obscure and fascinating history, not just who saved them, but what native peoples lived there in the beginning, how they were ‘discovered’ by white men, how their earliest protectors were black ‘buffalo’ soldiers, how Americans in every decade since have reacted with awe and gratitude when they first saw these wonders.” The connecting thread in the documentary, Burns continues, ‘is the need we all feel to protect the parks, our truly ‘best idea’. There is a sense of the parks being the birthright of every American. (On the other hand, if you are some of the websites I am on, there is question for discussion about what is going on in our parks. For example, Thomas Kiernan, director of the NPCA (National Parks Conservation Association), says that, “ Our national parks are threatened as never before by air and water pollution, commercial development, motorized misuse, and other dangers. And a lack of concern about the future of our national parks could devastate some of our finest treasures.” Source NPCA newsletter from May 7, 2012. I personally cringe when I see people smoke around the parks, and/or, take flowers or plants,not to mention feeding the animals; As tempting as it, one must refrain! The NPCA is over ninety years old, and is based in Washington. 777 6th st NW Suite 700 Washington, D.C. 20001. The phone number is 1. 800.628.7275 and the e mail is [email protected]. If you join now for as little as $15, you will receive a beautiful sixteen month NPCA calendar.
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Another National Park American and NYC icon recently had a birthday! Our great Lady Liberty turned 125 last October, and following her fête, she was removed to the surgery theatre Internally, however! From the outside, she is almost all there, but she is not open yet. Another controversial subject, like the Golden Gate Plaza in SF, how the Statue Museum and the Statue are preserved bring out differing views. Many feel the contents of the Museum, which recount the history of the building of the Statue and the history of the project itself, should be elsewhere, and not with the Statue. Just as controversial, although far less known, is the very mixed representation of the Lady’s history..Although we think that the Statue is a sign of Liberty and Freedom, this has not always been the image projected by Bartholdi’s Colossal dame! In an upcoming newsletter, we will look at the complicated history and symbolism that started with a dinner in a Paris suburb after the US Civil War.
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IATM has the mission of “promoting and maintaining the highest standards of competence, integrity and professional conduct on the part of all Tour Managars (and Guides). IATM’s aim is to promote, protect and improve the welfare and status of Tour Managers.” IATM is a members of ASTA, ETOA, NFTGA, WFTGA and we are hoping to partner with RSAA, USTOA, NPS, believing that partnership and alliances are the way to secure solid future collaboration! By the way, if you are coming to New York, let us know and we can look into a rate at the Wellington Hotel (who we would also like to become a member), and we are negociating with Enterprise Rent a car for better rates for IATM Americas region. In terms of your WFTGA Culture card, your IATM card should do the same. Remember that you can order 200 IATM cards for $70, and slightly more, if you want your photo on the card.
DATES and events to put in your agenda
2012 5-7 NOV WORLD TRAVEL MARKET, LONDON, (admission free for IATM) 7 NOV BRITISH REGION AUTUMN DRINK (details to follow) 2013 21-24 JAN AMERICAS REGION Pre tour and Study tour 25-28 JAN IATM INTERNATIONAL WEEKEND and AGM in DUBLIN 28-31 JAN Post weekend to BELFAST Details to follow. We hope to see you!
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IMPORTANT TOPICS ON OUR MINDS: When a fielder was sent out earlier in the year, the concerns that came back centered around topics that are more closely related than one would think at first glance. There were inquiries about the new labor law in California regarding our status as ‘independents’ or ‘contractors’; questions regarding who is in charge in the case of a tour leader with the incoming group, and then there is the ongoing discussion about the way to describe, or market, especially in Europe, what is considered a ‘guided’ or
‘escorted’ tour? The issue of whether tour directors, tour managers, guides, escorts, or however we might be called in a given situation, are salaried or not, can vary from situation to situation. In Europe, from whence we (IATM) came, it was and is still, seen to be more advantageous to work on a contract basis for a per diem pay and to be responsible for one’s own taxes, benefits and reporting. A certain sum is ‘generated’ on the spot by the tour director, perhaps also by the tour operator, which allows the employer to pay a low wage with no coverage being asked of his contracted, independent workers. There is nothing unusual in such a set up, as it happens in many industries. (A true independent contractor, of course, sets his own rates, but then again, must go along with the market). Independent contractors bill the payer for their services,a nd settle accounts with them for expenses. There have been instances in history where this question has prompted action, and whether in London, New York or California, guides (let us stay with just the one word, guide), have prevailed and companies have been forced to pay benefits to the guides, and consider them as employees (even as merely salaried, without being full time employees). There are many companies in Europe and in North America, where guides are salaried. Many people opt for and like this situation. For example, one large tour operator in the US, whose guides generally do not leave, has, as of now, a very regulated system. Guides get unemployment, their transport to and from the start and finish of the tour is paid. They have tips and optional, but on a smaller scale than some other companies. The law that was recently passed in California is clearly meant to protect workers, as more and more companies are trying to cut benefits to its workers. Many of us, on the other hand, are not in that position. We choose to be free lance, independents,and like being responsible for our own benefits. If someone works partially say, for ATI, and then with Trafalgar, then some payment will be ‘salaried’, and other ‘billed’. It could hypothetically be confusing for the Labor Department. In most instances, a signed contract indicates that both parties agree, but we would have to keep in mind that abusive employers could ‘force workers’ to sign, lowering standards, endangering workers with poor conditions. We are not ‘workers’, and thus as we are more white collar than blue, and as we are a particular, and smaller segment of an industry, there may not be any changes on the horizon at this point. (I do know of a case where a colleague working for one company who paid benefits applied for unemployment, and was asked to list all jobs and listing another company, the other company received a call from the Labor Department….!! But that is one incident and not the only time in history that this has occurred). I tend to think that that the salary/pay part is not necessarily the same as the options or extras—those funds are part of a different bucket. There are many people who get ‘salaries’, who still make commissions. That would really be more in the domain of the payer. If one really starts to look into things, a lot more is not allowed than we realise. There is, for instance, an obscure law that prohibits the selling of certain goods between states…..For the present, it would be wise to perhaps perceive that the time might come when certain aspects of how we work could change, but then again, they might not and
if they do, if might not have an impact, and/or, there is sound legal advice out there. What goes around comes around, and we want to also watch out and not find ourselves working for extras only, or paying to work….. Who is in charge, and what are we called, and is a tour a tour, are closely intertwined and will be addressed in the upcoming newsletters. The discussion in Europe, however, seems to be geography related. If we look at other areas of the world, yes, people do go to Africa on their own, but most do organized travel. On a cruise, there is no doubt and no choice, except as concerns the on land side trips. In the Americas, the distances are so vast, and the venues the same, that travelers are at advantage in a group. And they need help with the language. This dialogue has gone on for some time, in reality and is not really as new as it seems. But it touches on more local touring as opposed to overall panoramic sightseeing, a question that can only reach a certain point in the West, due to the sheer size.
---Also coming up---
---new info on wild and not so wild animals ---news on National Parks ----Lady Liberty and other icons ----are Native Americans fading out? News and sign up for our STUDY TOUR, and hopefully, new members, and WATCH for us on FACEBOOK!
Happy Flag Day, Happy 4th and happy travels!!