Success Stories

Christie Digital European Waterways Clearwater Festival Student and Youth Travel Association (SYTA) Club ABC Tours Fare Buzz Odyssey Resorts International Turkish National Tourist Office United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA)

Placing USTOA on the Map
For over 20 years, we spearheaded the marketing activities of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), one of the most prominent and prestigious trade associations in the travel industry. Our successful efforts on behalf of USTOA were, in large measure, the result of an ongoing public relations program conducted by HAPR.

Working closely with the association's president, chairmen and marketing committees, HAPR orchestrated a media relations campaign utilizing an array of publicity-generating tactics — from speaker placement to satellite tours — to deliver USTOA's message about the benefits of packaged vacations to the traveling public and travel agents. Another important contributor to the campaign's success was the annual surveys conducted by the agency among the association's Active members. The surveys were, in turn, converted into travel trend stories that were "pitched" to the media.

The extensive and continuous coverage of USTOA in trade publications, key market newspapers, national and regional magazines, and influential broadcast outlets that was generated by the PR campaign ultimately led to USTOA being recognized as the authoritative voice of the tour operator industry — and the leading advocate of financial protection for consumers. The high profile publicity was also a major factor in the rapid growth in all of USTOA's membership categories.