Phil Otterson, President, American Tourism Society (ATS), announced that the ATS Fall 2010 Conference will be held in Pristina, Kosovo’s Capital, from October 25-27, 2010. This ATS-organized event In Kosovo, which only gained its independence in February 28, 2008, will be the first-ever tourism conference to be held in the newborn country. “Kosovo is a perfect example of what ATS’s mission is about,” said Otterson, “assisting transformational destinations with tourism marketing skills, training through the onsite ATS tourism college program, and educating ATS members about the newest destinations. Now, ATS contributions to the host country have been further strengthened through our recent partnerships with National Tour Association (NTA) and Tourism Cares.”

ATS is using the platform of the USTOA Annual Conference and Marketplace in Banff, Canada, December 8-10, 2009, to roll out the promotional campaign for this historic event. The official ATS announcement follows the formal invitation made by Kosovo host, Bujar Kuji, Director, the Republic of Kosovo Ministry of Trade and Industry Department of Tourism, at the closing of the recent ATS Fall 2009 conference held in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.

At the ATS 2010 Fall Conference, NTA will co-sponsor the post-conference new product development tour to Southern Kosovo and Tirana, Albania, October 28-31; and Tourism Cares will organize as part of the ATS program, its second annual local community service project for ATS delegates. The ATS Tourism College, which has received accolades from past host country tourism professionals, university professors and students alike, will involve local university students in special sessions and as invited guests to the ATS conference.