What’s the benefit? The National Tour Association announced that it is inviting travel agents to join its ranks under the new “Travel Planner” membership category. While agents have previously been invited to participate in the NTA’s annual convention, Travel Exchange, they have not had the opportunity to officially join the organization. In May, after two years of deliberation, NTA decided to offer membership to “retail travel agents at for-profit companies whose primary business is selling the tours and packages of a tour operator or third party.”

Why it works: One of the biggest benefits of the new Travel Planner membership is the opportunity for agents to offer more options to clients, according to NTA President Pam Inman. “We’re eager to get travel planners into the mix at Travel Exchange,” she said in a statement. “Those new members—retail travel agents—can increase their revenue by tapping into trending tour product our operators have created, which, in turn, will give our suppliers and destinations a boost.”

Other benefits: In addition to a more extensive destination list, planners will have full access to NTA’s member resources. This includes weekly industry reports, professional development seminars, and exclusive advertising opportunities in NTA’s monthly magazine, Courier.

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