I don’t live in Australia. Why should I join an Australian association?
WITIA is an international alliance which happens to be headquartered in Gold Coast,
Queensland, Australia because, after all, it has to be headquartered somewhere. WITIA’s
focus and membership base are global, and one of our goals is to have members on the
ground in each country throughout the world. As a matter of legality, WITIA is a publicly listed,
not for profit company limited by guarantee in Australia with the Australian Securities
Investment Corporation.
Do the President and the Board of WITIA have to be based in Australia?
Under the laws of ASIC, one Treasurer and one Secretary must be based in Australia but all
other Directors may be from outside Australia.
I am a supplier with a sales territory in my home country. What advantage is it to me to belong to an international organization?
There are several advantages. Firstly, WITIA not only has members in your country, but our
publications also reach many potential members in your city, state, province and country who
can learn about you through the Alliance. Since our main purpose is networking, you may be
recommended to future clients through the recommendation of a third-party member who
sees your listing. Secondly, members in a foreign country may be looking to sell your product
to their clients. You can handle their business directly, or refer it to a travel agent within your
territory. Thirdly, you will look very good to your boss or your bottom line if you develop new
revenue streams. Fourthly, one of the benefits of WITIA membership is the ability to advertise
your product at no cost in our bi-monthly WITIA NETWORKS! And finally, WITIA can help you
in your personal travel, offer you industry information, enable you to exchange business
tactics with your peers and colleagues around the world, etc., etc.
How can I maximize my membership to WiTiA?
| 1. |
By creating an interesting and complete description of your company/specialty on your Personal Profile page so that members will be able to find you and do business with you. Please remember to keep your profile up to date by editing it to reflect changes in employment, address, telephone, fax, email, website, etc. |
| 2. |
By book-marking the Travel Tools area of the website (www.witia.org) to get immediate access to an easy-to-use world clock, world currency converter, world weather, news, hotels, restaurants, embassies, airport information, airline seating charts, visa information, etc.
|
| 3. |
By submitting ads to be included in the bi-monthly WITIA NETWORKS! (no charge to WITIA members). |
| 4. |
By reading WITIA’s publications to familiarize yourself with fellow members. |
| 5. |
By attending WITIA convention and FAM trips to establish personal relationships with our members and learn about exciting destinations in depth. |
| 6. |
By becoming a Global Partner for AUD $100 per year, linking your website to ours in the public area. |
|
|
Is there a way to find the WITIA member who can help me without going through the entire database?
Easy – just login to the Members Only area of the website. Then click on Members Directory.
This will bring up the first page of the directory where you will see the headings “By First
name” on the top. Click the down arrow in the box, and now you can choose another option:
By company, By country, By last name, By company type. Click “By company.” Want to
know which airlines are represented, which hotels, which tour operators? Click “By company
type.” Want to know who is a member in Fiji? Click by country and scroll down to Fiji.
How can I make it easier to access the WITIA website?
Bookmark the WITIA website by typing www.witia.org in your search engine’s home page.
When the WITIA web page is displayed, go to the top left of your screen (above the webpage)
where you will see a yellow star symbol (Favorites) and beside it, a green plus sign to the left
of the yellow star (Add to Favorites). Click the later and select add to Favorites. Thereafter,
when you want to access the WITIA website, you need only click the yellow star and select
WITIA, displayed by name and its distinctive logo.
What sort of helpful information can I access through the WITIA website?
Anyone can learn about WITIA, read our latest and archived publications, learn how to
contact WITIA, and access the useful information contained in our Travel Tools area,
including world time, currency converter, weather, news, embassies and visas, airport and
airline information including seating plans, restaurant and hotel lists worldwide, etc. WITIA
members can access the Members Only section where they can tap into our member
database, which can be sorted by first or family name, company name, company type and
geographical location. Each member profile contains detailed information on that member’s
specialties plus complete contact information.
How can I find WITIA members who are located near me?
Login to the Members Only area through www.witia.org. Click on Members Directory.
This will bring up the first page of the directory where you will see the headings “By state”.
The list of names of members living in that state will appear on the screen.
Are there any WITIA networking events scheduled around the world?
These are listed under Events on the Home page of the website. WITIA held its 2007 AGM and Fiji Educational tour from 15 to 19 November 2007 and is now planning an Educational on the Big Island of Hawaii from 15 to 19 September 2008. The Program will be on the Events page soon.
I have moved, changed employment, etc. How can I edit my WITIA Personal Profile page?
| 1. |
Click on the Member Login on the Home page, and insert your user name and password. |
| 2. |
From the menu on the left, click on “Your details” and your profile will appear. |
| 3. |
At the top of your profile you will see three tabs. Run the cursor over “Edit” and the words “update your Profile” will appear. |
| 4. |
Check all your details and make any necessary changes. Give some thought to your 25 word description so that other members can pinpoint what you do. |
| 5. |
Finally, click on the “update” button at the bottom of the page. |
I have relevant industry news that I would like to disseminate through WITIA. Is this possible?
Yes, WITIA publishes the e-newsletter WITIA NETWORKS which is designed to showcase
travel and tourism offerings by members of WITIA. WITIA NETWORKS is a by-monthly
publication and is distributed free of charge to our extensive database. Email your
submissions of up to 160 words plus complete contact information to the Editor of WITIA NETWORKS. Should your news be of a more general nature, please submit
it for consideration in our monthly publication, WITIA WORKS! Email to Vice President/Secretary.
When I look up WITIA members on the website, I don’t see their email address listed, only their phone and fax number. How can I obtain their email addresses?
In order to email a WITIA member, members must log on by using their user name and
password, and then click on Members Directory. The default setting lists all members
alphabetically by first name, but the list can be sorted by Last Name, Company, Country or
Company Type by clicking the down arrow beside the “By First Name” box at right. Click the
name of the person you would like to email to pull up her or his Profile, and then click on the
Message tab at the top of the page. This generates an email form which you can use to send
your message.
One of the advantages of our system is that the sender never sees the actual email
address of the recipient unless that recipient decides to reply. By this means, the member is
totally in control of who has her/his email contact, and is therefore able to avoid unwanted
spam. WITIA has pledged not to reveal any member emails except by permission (such as a
member who wishes to promote her business through our emailed communications).
Is my email address secure with WITIA? Do you share your list with other industry groups?
Yes, your email address is secure with WITIA. It is not published on your Profile and the only
way another member can obtain your email address is when they send an email to you
through the Message tab on your profile, and you respond to that message. WITIA does not
divulge members’ email addresses to other industry groups.
How can I get my colleagues added to the WITIA email list?
Just forward their email addresses to Website Co-ordinator and we will add the address to the
email list.
Is it possible to make special offers to WITIA members that promote my business?
Yes, WITIA publishes the e-newsletter WITIA NETWORKS which is designed to showcase
travel and tourism offerings by members of WITIA. WITIA NETWORKS is a by-monthly
publication and is distributed free of charge to our extensive database. Email all submissions
(160 words, no graphics, plus complete contact information) to the Editor of WITIA NETWORKS. WITIA members can also become a WITIA sponsor which
allows promotional opportunities on our website. Please contact the Director of Sponsorship.
When and where is the next WITIA function?
The next function will be an Educational on the Big Island of Hawaii from 15 to 19 September 2008. The Program will be on the Events page soon.
Are you able to obtain good airfares to attend the convention?
The Directors of Marketing in each region where WITIA is represented will contact their airline
companies and will negotiate a discount for WITIA members when attending a FAM or
Convention. Please go to www.witia.org and click on About WITIA, then contact WITIA to
contact the Director of Marketing for your region.
Will there be any by-law changes at convention?
Changes to by-laws may only be made at an AGM. The AGM will be held during a
Convention or during a FAM trip. Changes to the by-laws will only be introduced if deemed
necessary and would normally be of a “housekeeping” nature.
What is your nominated charity as an international association?
At the AGM held in May 2007, the members agreed that WITIA would not commit to a specific
charity at this time and would be open to opportunities as they arise.
How can I benefit from WITIA membership if I can't always attend meetings?
Unlike local clubs which hold monthly scheduled meetings, WITIA does not meet except for
annual conventions/FAM trips which are publicized well ahead of time but not held on a
regular basis. These conventions/FAM trips may be held anywhere in the world. Regionally,
WITIA members may organize get-togethers from time to time, depending on the desires of
the local members. The purpose of WITIA is to promote individual networking, allowing
members to communicate with like-minded professionals in the travel and tourism industry
through the mediums of email and the website. WITIA will schedule at least one convention
or FAM each year at which time the AGM will be held. This is the opportunity to meet face to
face with WITIA members throughout the world and we encourage you to attend these annual
events.
