As it gears up to celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2016, officials of the National Association of Career Travel Agents (NACTA) point out that the association is on a growth trajectory.

NACTA president Ann Chamberlin (formerly Ann van Leeuwen), said, “Our growth is nothing short of phenomenal. NACTA represents some of the hardest-working travel consultants in the business. We added eight new chapters in 2015 for a total of 52. We had a sold out conference in Kona, Hawaii. And we have new technology in place to promote our travel specialists with consumers. But, we could not do any of this without our dedicated, volunteer chapter and regional directors.”

Among its priorities for the year is continued educational opportunities. NACTA’s annual conference is the main venue for learning among NACTA members. In 2016, NACTA will head to Fort Lauderdale Nov. 3 to Nov. 9 for a conference split between the Westin Fort Lauderdale Hotel and Celebrity’s Infinity sailing to The Bahamas.

Chamberlin pointed out that, “Establishing a Land & Sea conference with Starwood and Celebrity is a winning combination for us. Both companies proactively support independent travel consultants. Attending travel agents can expect many extra surprises as we celebrate our 30-year history.”

NACTAalso announced that the destination chosen for its 2017 Annual Convention is Anchorage, Alaska.

“We look forward to celebrating our 30th Anniversary in Fort Lauderdale and on Celebrity’s Infinity with our 1,800 and counting members next fall. We’re expecting great things for our industry in 2016,” Chamberlin said.