Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/29859
IN THE NEWS FERGUSONS PARTNER FOR TEMPLE PANEL Jack and Elliott Ferguson share more than the same last name. They also lead two well-respected and influential tourism organizations – the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau and Destination DC, respectively. Shane O’Flaherty, president and CEO of Forbes Travel Guide, the gold standard of travel ratings, joined the pair of industry veterans at Temple University’s School of Tourism and Hospitality Management for a wide-ranging discussion on consumer trends, destination marketing, and the roles and functions of convention and visitors bureaus. The Fergusons also shared their backgrounds, career paths and advice for students. More than 150 students and a host of industry representatives attended the executive panel, held Feb. 9 on Temple’s Main Campus in Philadelphia. Pictured here from left to right, Gregory DeShields, senior director of corporate relations for Temple University’s School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, poses with Elliott Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination DC; Shane O’Flaherty, president and CEO of Forbes Travel Guide; Jack Ferguson, president and CEO of Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau; and Dr. Elizabeth H. Barber, associate dean of Temple’s School of Tourism and Hospitality Management. TRAVEL INDUSTRY, SECURITY EXPERTS UNVEIL ROADMAP TO NEW AIR TRAVEL SECURITY SCREENING SYSTEM IN U.S. The U.S Travel Association and a panel of travel and security experts recently unveiled a groundbreaking plan to improve security at America’s airports and reduce the burden on travelers.Among the most notable recommendations are the creation of a trusted traveler programand a requirement that travelers be allowed to check at least one bag at no additional cost to the ticket price as a means to reduce the amount of luggage going through the security checkpoint. The need for reform was made especially clear by recent research revealing that travelers are avoiding two to three trips per year due to unnecessary hassles associated with the security screening process.These avoided trips come at a cost of $85 billion and 900,000 jobs to theAmerican economy. The recommendations, the culmination of a year-long analysis to remake aviation security screening, were issued in a report titled A Better Way: Building a World Class System for Aviation Security, and call on Congress to own responsibility for improving the current system through effective policy decisions.U.S.Travel and its panel of experts set out to achieve three primary goals: 8 Black Meetings & Tourism March/April 2011: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com