Honor recognizes over 20 years of dedication

HATFIELD—The National Tour Association (NTA) recently presented Jay Smith, founder of Sports Travel and Tours, with the 2019 Bob Everidge Lifetime Achievement Award for dedication to the organization’s mission for over 20 years.

At NTA’s annual conference, called Travel Exchange, in Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 12, Smith accepted the honor from NTA President Pam Inman. Inman said Smith has served as a volunteer, a member of the organization, a member of the NTA board of directors, and as board vice-chair and chair.

“Jay’s first NTA convention was in 2000 in Salt Lake City,” Inman said. “He has been active, engaging, and leading ever since. He is a positive powerhouse of support. I’m proud to call him my friend.” 

Smith was first elected to the NTA board in 2012. He was vice-chair in 2016 and chair in 2017. “He continues to be actively involved today as a sponsor and volunteer and as a member,” Inman said, adding that Smith sits on the NTA Nominating Committee and the Owner’s Network.

NTA is the leading business-building association for professionals serving customers traveling to, from, and within North America. In accepting his award, Smith said that the professionals he has met as part of the network have helped him grow and develop as a business person in the industry.

“This is as humbling a moment as I could ever have in my lifetime,” he said. 

Smith founded Sports Travel and Tours in 1996, offering tours to baseball games initially and then expanding to include other sports trips in a wider range of venues, including Cuba, London, and Japan.

Support from his staff and his wife, Carol, allowed him to dedicate time to the NTA and its goals. Fellow NTA members helped support the board in achieving those goals. “This is a group award,” he told the crowd of NTA members. “If it wasn’t for all of you on this team, we wouldn’t have been hitting any home runs. We would have been striking out.” 

NTA acts as a dedicated advocate on behalf of its members and the tourism industry at large. Active with policymakers in Congress and the administration, the association coordinates with its partners on a number of key legislative issues. It’s governed by a volunteer board of directors, which is advised by volunteer committees. 

During Smith’s tenure as chair of the NTA board, the organization was focused on a number of policy priorities, including specialty travel markets in countries including India and China, travel between Cuba and the United States, and funding for the National Park Service Centennial.

Smith is active in Tourism Cares and Travel Alliance Partners, two industry-focused organizations, and Sports Travel and Tours has been the official travel company of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum since 2007. 

For more information, visit NTAonline.com or www.sportstravelandtours.com.

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Sports Travel and Tours offers Flexible Independent Travel options

HATFIELD, MASS—Whether they root for the Seattle Seahawks or the New York Giants when autumn rolls around, Sports Travel and Tours has tailored sports trips that will fit each fan. With its Gridiron Getaways, the team, date, place, seating, and hotel accommodations are all the fan’s call.

For those who want to track the Dallas Cowboys, for example, there are eight home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and eight away games. That means there are 16 chances to see this powerhouse team as it celebrates its 60th season in the NFL. The Lone Star State takes its football seriously, and Sports Travel and Tours specializes in bringing the sport’s biggest fans to Arlington for unforgettable experiences.

The first of the home games start Monday, Sept. 16, pitting the Cowboys against the Giants. Picture hundreds of cheering fans and the blue and silver star at the 50-yard line. Participants can choose where they want to sit, and the sports travel agency based out of Hatfield, Massachusetts, will make it happen.

All of Sports Travel and Tours’ Gridiron Getaways offer three ticket choices: value, moderate, or premium. Value tickets typically involve seating in the end zone, while moderate tickets seat fans near the football field’s corners or in the upper level. Lastly, premium tickets offer lower-level, sideline seats between the 25-yard lines.

Each Gridiron Getaway also provides optional hotel bookings with standard, moderate, or deluxe hotels.

Sports Travel and Tours can customize a trip to suit any preference. The Gridiron Getaways travel packages are easily planned through the Flexible Independent Travel (FIT) program. Here’s how it works: Participants choose how much they want to spend, and travel coordinators arrange accommodations, tickets, and transportation to fit the budget.

There is no need to peruse all the travel sites to get the best deal on a hotel or to chart out an itinerary to maximize every minute. Sports Travel and Tours can take care of the details, so a sports vacation is as relaxing and stress-free as possible.

All Gridiron Getaways include a trip souvenir and 24-hour trip assistance, and there are several optional add-ons, including a car rental with unlimited mileage; tickets to other sporting events; sideline, lower-level, and club ticket upgrades; tickets to see theater performances or concerts; and sightseeing/city tours.

Dallas Cowboys games run through Dec. 30, but these football excursions are also available for any American Football Conference or National Football Conference team.

Learn more about Sports Travel and Tours’ Gridiron Getaways.

Learn more about Sports Travel and Tours.

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