Faith Travel Association Announces New Staff

Just four months old, Faith Travel Association (FTA) is flourishing, and expanding its staff to accommodate the needs of its growing membership. The organization has named Justina Elsidodi as administrative assistant, Julie Hoover-Ernst as director of marketing and communications, and Theresa Krieg as FTA ambassador.

“We are building a small, highly-skilled team of professionals to serve the needs of travelers and the organizations that provide life-changing experiences,” said Dr. Z. Allen Abbott, FTA executive director.

Justina Elsidodi has fifteen years’ experience in helping international organizations set up and manage project offices in the Middle East. Perfect for a small staff, whose members must wear numerous hats, Justina comes to FTA with a strong background in strategic thinking, events planning, and project coordination, as well as proposal/report writing and preparation.

Julie Hoover-Ernst comes to FTA with eighteen years’ experience in marketing and public relations, having served nearly ten years with Henry County, Georgia, overseeing their communications department, while also growing tourism spending in her community serving on the board of directors of the Henry County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Theresa Krieg has twenty-eight years in the tourism industry, most recently as vice president of LEO Events, a destination management company in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Theresa is also a former NTA board member.  As ambassador, Theresa will be charged with growing FTA’s membership.  

Faith Travel Association was launched by NTA Services, Inc. in January 2014 to serve as the pre-eminent business-building resource for travel professionals, sites, and organizations worldwide focused on faith-based travel. Encompassing far more than religious pilgrimages, faith-based travel experiences include everything from religious heritage tours and festivals, to conferences, conventions, mission trips, retreats, student and youth group excursions, and much more. In fact, more than three hundred million people of faith embark on trips around the world each year, pumping $18 billion into the tourism economy. In the United States alone, fifty thousand churches and worship centers have travel programs for youth and adults.

Faith Travel Association is a worldwide community of faith-based travel professionals with a common goal: to provide experiences of a lifetime to travelers. For more information, call 855.264.6600 or visit FaithTravelAssociation.com