ETC

Educational Travel Consortium

Uncategorized

DOS Rates

DOS defined: Destinations like country, regional and city government tourist offices, convention and visitors associations, city and community-based tourism promotion offices; Operators like foreign-based tour operators, destination management companies,receptive agents and USA-based tour operators; Suppliers providing travel or travel-related services.

Discounted registration fees valid only with a minimum 3-night stay within the official ETC Conference block, at the published rate.

Destinations, Operators, & Suppliers
Registration Rates		EarlyRegularLate
First Person & Organization
Membership
3-day Educational Program, Int’l Bazaar Space
(table, tablecloth, chairs, signage), meals as noted		$475
$1125		$475
$1325		$475
$1525
Second Person
Membership
3-day Educational Program, meals as noted
$475
$500
$475
$560
$475
$660

Cancellation Policy: For cancellations made prior to <Date> you will receive a full refund (less U.S. $75.00 administrative fee and 3.0% convenience fee, if payment was online). Fees are not refundable for cancellations after <Date>. Name substitutions from the same organization are accepted up to <Date>; thereafter, a $50.00 charge will apply.

The Educational Travel Consortium’s Annual Conference assembles an international group of top-level decision makers from both nonprofit institutions and for-profit companies who focus specifically on special-interest and lifelong-learning group travel. The following three distinct groups attend the conference:

1) Nonprofit Travel Program Managers and Planners

2) U.S. Tour Operators and Suppliers

3) Domestic and International Destination Representatives

This is the most content-laden conference in the travel industry.
Jim Sano, Vice President of Travel, Tourism, and Conservation, World Wildlife Fund

1) Nonprofit Travel Program Managers and Planners
Large and small travel programs are represented from alumni associations and continuing and international education departments; art, science, and natural history museums; cultural and preservation organizations; zoos, aquariums, and conservation groups; and from national and regional nonprofit organizations and affinity associations.

Approximately 100+ nonprofit travel planners from across the USA and Canada participate each year. In attendance are key decision makers such as executive directors and program managers, as well as program support staff.

Some of the participants are: Dartmouth College, Stanford Alumni Association, Arizona Alumni Association, Washington & Lee University, Philadelphia Zoo, California Alumni Association–Berkeley, Harvard Alumni Association, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Smithsonian Institution, The Nature Conservancy, National Trust for Historic Preservation, The Sierra Club, UCLA Alumni Travel, Alumni Association of the University of Michigan

Excellent source of tour selection and management of information and best single resource for educational travel networking.
Robert Fure (retired), Lifelong Learning, Washington & Lee University

2) Leading U.S. Tour Operators and Suppliers
In addition to forging connections between travel planners from similar institutions, ETC brings together  key special-interest group travel operators, destinations, and suppliers from all corners of the world. No other meeting assembles so many experts dedicated to serving this educational, alumni, and nonprofit travel market niche.110+ special-interest tour operators and 50+ specialty suppliers, from several international destinations, attend and exhibit. Companies and businesses represented include: Academic Arrangements Abroad, Distant Horizons, Odysseys Unlimited, Lindblad Expeditions, MIR, Alaska Wildland Tours, USI Travel Insurance Services, Alumni Holidays, and Gohagan & Co.

Best educational experience in the industry.
Marilyn Downing Staff, Founder and Past President, Asia Transpacific Journeys

3) Special Interest Domestic and International Destinations and DMCs
ETC has representatives from around the globe— Asia, Africa, Canada, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, the South Pacific and Australia, and the United States. State and foreign national government tourist offices, destination marketing organization specialists and city tourist bureaus participate, as well as in country receptive operators. A sampling of these attendees from past conferences include: China National Tourist Office, Japan National Tourism Organization, India Tourism, Korea Tourism Organization, Tourist Office of Spain, Tourism Malaysia, Travel Manitoba, Tourism Ireland, ProColombia, Visit Flanders.

https://educationaltravelconsortium.com/2019/08/20/audience-profile/

EAC Mid-Year Planning Meeting

Executive Advisory Council’s (EAC) Mid-Year Planning Meeting

2020 Mid-Year Planning Meeting: Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, May 16-21

Cancelled due to Covid-19. Abbreviated virtual meetings were held in May and November 2020.

Held in early summer, this is an opportunity for the Community’s leadership to come together for critical planning. EAC members meet for several days to discuss conference planning, session choices and events, venue choices, and ETC’s evolving community engagement. While there, these leaders experience some of the cultural aspects of the destination, evaluate the experiences, and assist in compiling a comprehensive report for the destination.

Members

MEMBERS: Our community is comprised of the key travel planners at alumni associations, zoos, museums, cultural and conservation organizations who are responsible for the planning, management and/or marketing of alumni, member, and donor travel programs, as well as the US tour operators, travel suppliers and in-country/regional destinations and operators and global purveyors of travel and communities serving this sector of affinity and alumni lifelong learning group travel. As an educational travel community we are committed to:

  • Helping cultural, educational and conservation organizations to achieve their alumni/member engagement, revenue, advancement and stewardship goals through affinity travel
  • Fostering sustainable collaborations and partnerships among diverse special interest travel member constituencies
  • Connecting, educating, challenging and inspiring educational travel professionals
  • Enhancing global awareness, cultural diplomacy and positive impact through tourism

Mission

MISSION: To gather nonprofit and for profit travel professionals within a convivial community to educate, inspire and foster innovative and sustainable affinity travel programs, global collaborations and partnerships, and advance lifelong learning, member engagement and stewardship through educational travel.

  • Sharing best practices and collaboration in an open way
  • Developing engaging and innovative travel programs
  • Cultivating informed global travelers
  • Creating positive global impact
  • Informing Inspiration in travel programs

Love this professional community!
Roxanne C. Shiels, Director of Alumni Strategy, Outreach and Online Education, The Pennsylvania State University