Northeast Kingdom Travel & Tourism Association has achieved many accomplishments over the last year with the invaluable support of area businesses, Chambers of Commerce, and local communities.
Regional Website – TravelTheKingdom.com
NEKTTA showcases, updates, and manages the regional website TraveltheKingdom.com. In June 0f 2010, we launched the completely redesigned TraveltheKingdom.com which now features enhanced business and event listings, an interactive map of the region, Online Booking, and an Online Country Store where locally made products can be purchased. Marketing Partners now have access to their listings via a 'partner portal' and can update listings at any time as well as list vacation packages on the website.
The new website offers even more opportunities to showcase your business including:
- advertising on TraveltheKingdom.com (these ads also appear on our interactive map and network of WiFi hotspot landing pages)
- enhancing your business listings with a video
- having your logo on our home page by becoming a NEKTTA sponsor
- participating in Central Reservations and having your offerings available for travelers to book online
- offering your locally made products for sale on the Northeast Kingdom Online Country Store
Central Reservations System
In 2009, NEKTTA obtained grant funding from the USDA for a Central Reservations System (CRS) through the regional tourism website, TraveltheKingdom.com. The CRS allows travelers to visit one website and plan & reserve a complete vacation experience including offerings from multiple hospitality suppliers within the Kingdom. The CRS makes it easier for travelers to discover the region, educate themselves as to the vacation experience and commit to a reservation. NEKTTA marketing partners who choose to participate pay no set up fee and only a 5 - 15% commission on products booked. NEKTTA also shares the technology with our partners and local Chambers of Commerce so that they can offer Online Booking on their websites for little to no cost.
The Online Country Store
Another exciting new feature on TraveltheKingdom.com is the Northeast Kingdom Online Country Store through which locally made products can be purchased. Amazon for the Northeast Kingdom! Artists, Crafters, and other producers of locally made goods are able to participate and offer their products for sale with no annual fees and only a 15% commission due on items sold. NEKTTA is also able to share this technology with local businesses and/or organizations (such as an artisans guild or chamber) who do not already have an online shop.
Agritourism Development & Promotion Initiative
In June of 2010, NEKTTA was awarded grant funding from the USDA for an Agritourism Development & Promotion Initiative which will help our agriculturally based businesses enhance, create, and market offerings for travelers. Goals of this initiative include enhancing visitor experiences, increasing awareness of our agricultural heritage, helping local farms remain viable, increasing job creation in the Northeast Kingdom, and increasing tourism in the region. We are currently working with VT Farms Association, the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture and the UVM Extension Farm Viability Program to begin work on this initiative.
The Northeast Kingdom Geotourism Program
In partnership with National Geographic, NEKTTA is proud to have created a Geotourism Program for the Northeast Kingdom which promotes sustainable tourism in the region. Key features for this program include:
- The creation of the Northeast Kingdom Geotourism Logo
- An online Interactive Map which showcases the region to travelers. Since it's launch in December 2008, the Interactive Map has become the most viewed part of our website and has become an invaluable tool for travelers in search of dining, lodging, recreational, shopping, and other regional information
- Enhanced information about Geotourism on TraveltheKingdom.com to help travelers incorporate sustainable tourism in their journey and plan related activities.
- A Geotourism Training Initiative which includes written guides and live training sessions for local businesses, communities and others in the hospitality related industries. The goal of Geotourism Training is to help residents and business leaders understand geotourism and how to incorporate its values into their daily lives and business practices. The guides also give specific direction as to how communities, businesses, and those in the hospitality industries can create and market geotourism experiences for the traveler.
If you are interested in receiving Geotourism Training Guides or arranging a live training for your staff please call 802-626-8511 or send us an email.
As always, we continue our mission to showcase the region and provide marketing education, service, support and representation for 9 area Chambers of Commerce and over 180 area businesses. In doing so it is our mission to employ tourism to the benefit of our region by assisting in the development, marketing, and execution of experiential tourism products which will both honor and sustain that which, we as residents of the NEK, value most about our home. To aid us in our mission we employ the values and principles of agritourism, ecotourism and geotourism.
