This message contains images. If you don't see images, click here to view. Click here to advertise in this news brief.   Mobile version   RSS   Subscribe   Unsubscribe   Archive   Media Kit Jun. 18, 2012 Home   Government Affairs   Member Resources   News & Publications   ABA Foundation   For Travelers   About Us          FEATURED NEWS Watch the June edition of Motorcoach Travel News ABA    Share    The American Bus Association is pleased to present the June 2012 edition of Motorcoach Travel News, coming to you from the Bus Industry Safety Council meetings in Herndon, Va. You will notice that MTN is now being distributed to you as part of ABA's The Insider. The best and most comprehensive place to get all your motorcoach, travel and tourism news and information is now in one email. In this edition of MTN, we will take an in-depth look at the recent FMCSA shutdown of 26 illegally operating bus companies and what role ABA played in this effort. We will also report on the recent NTSB hearing on the World Wide Travel bus crash in New York in 2011 and ABA's reaction to the recommendations and national and local media coverage of the hearing. ABA took a leadership role in both major news stories, and you will see some of that on MTN. ABA President and CEO Peter Pantuso will join us to talk about news in the motorcoach industry, and he will have an update on Marketplace 2013 in Charlotte, N.C. We'll also talk with ABA Vice President for Regulatory Affairs Norm Littler about the recently concluded Bus Industry Safety Council meetings and the work being done in the industry to make motorcoach travel even safer. Click here to watch the June 2012 edition of MTN. More  INDUSTRY NEWS Travel foundation relaunches project to create industry's 1st global sustainability program Corporate Meetings Network    Share    The GBTA Foundation, the education and research foundation of the Global Business Travel Association recently announced the expansion of Project ICARUS, the first global travel management sustainability body, representing the interests of the global travel and meetings industry. The project will include recognition and awards programs highlighting leading organizations in sustainability and an advisory board with global representatives from a variety of fields to provide expertise, leadership and guidance on sustainability. More Welcome to America: What guide books tell foreign visitors The Atlantic    Share    The United States is the second greatest tourist draw in the world, with 60-million-plus visitors in 2010 alone (France, No. 1, attracted almost 80 million). Flipping through a few of the many English-language tourist guides provides a fascinating, if nonscientific and narrow, window into how people from the outside world perceive America, Americans and the surprises and pitfalls of spending time here. More Tour operators tap into new customers using social media The Huffington Post    Share    The days of booking tours using a rotary phone and a brochure are rapidly changing. Today, savvy tour operators are tapping into a stream of new customers using a variety of social media channels, most notably Facebook and Twitter. The rationale for these creative viral strategies is simple: More tour operators believe that consumers are more likely to book a trip if they know a friend or a family member has had a good experience. More Airlines, ticket firms battle over booking system The Associated Press via The Boston Globe    Share    Airlines want to raise new revenues by selling extras such special seats, meals and VIP lounge access alongside plane tickets and are locked in a battle with three companies that dominate the bookings industry over the introduction of a new global reservation system. More Luxury hotels group publishes venue selection guide for international meetings and incentives Incentive Magazine    Share    To help American meeting planners identify destinations and venues "of distinction" outside the United States, Associated Destinations Worldwide — the new global sales organization of Associated Luxury Hotels International — has published a new "Global Sales Guide to Meeting Destinations," ALHI announced recently. More New report predicts online bookings will grow travel Travel Agent Central    Share    As the economy moves into recovery and travel trends pick up, demand will increase and fuel growth for the travel agency industry, a major research firm asserts. The report estimates that the industry’s top four players will account for 75 percent of the booking industry and that Internet technology will drive growth. More Airports raise their game for business passengers The Wall Street Journal    Share    Airports large and small are catering to the needs of business travelers, investing in premium shopping, expedited security and great Wi-Fi access. The new measures counter many frequent fliers' complaints that airports are simply shopping malls with airplane gates. More Chinese tourists poised to transform global travel industry SmartPlanet    Share    China is expected to become the world's biggest exporter of tourists for the first time this year, with about 78 million from the country expected to travel abroad, according to the World Tourism Organization. In comparison, 64 million U.S. tourists made trips abroad in 2010. China's outbound tourists are transforming the world's travel sector, as hotels scramble to hire Mandarin speakers, and foreign countries invest millions in public relations campaigns aimed at raising their profile in China. More  ASSOCIATION NEWS BISC summer meeting a success ABA    Share    Nearly 100 motorcoach company executives and safety professionals gathered in Herndon, Va., June 11-12, for the 2012 summer meeting of the Bus Industry Safety Council. Attendees discussed motorcoach safety and compliance issues and took away valuable lessons to improve operational safety in their own companies. Click here to view photos, minutes, presentations and more from the event. Read more. Membership segment conference calls scheduled ABA    Share    Each year, ABA holds open conference calls for each membership segment to share pertinent information, discuss industry developments and gather feedback on member programs, services and events like Marketplace. ABA also holds similar open member segment meetings during ABA's Marketplace. These face-to-face meetings will be listed in the Marketplace education schedule in August. This year's membership calls will begin in late June for the travel segment. Don't miss this great opportunity to interact with your industry colleagues and ABA staff, Board and Marketplace Advisory Committee members. Attractions: 11:30 a.m. EDT — June 25 Lodging: 11:30 a.m. EDT — June 27 DMOs: 11:30 a.m. EDT — June 28 Registration materials for the calls will be announced in the coming weeks. More reasons to register now for Marketplace 2013 ABA    Share    Does your new fiscal year begin July 1? Don't worry — you can lock in your Marketplace registration today and wait to pay. Why register now? Early registration can give your company a preferred appointment code, which will help you get more appointments at the show. Click here to register today and earn your slice of more than $78 million worth of booked business. More Update your Motorcoach Marketer listing for the 2013 edition ABA    Share    Motorcoach Marketer proofs were recently emailed to every member company's primary contact. Corrections or additional listings are due by Aug. 6. Visit our Motorcoach Marketer page to learn more and review your listing. More Partnership makes it easier for tour operators to access destination itineraries and charter motorcoaches ABA    Share    Registered users of TheTourOperator.com portal site will be able to charter a motorcoach anywhere in the U.S. and Canada through a link affiliation with GroupConnect, the family of online tools developed by the American Bus Association and the Ontario Motor Coach Association, which includes CharterBusConnect.com and GroupTravelConnect.com. Read more. ABA welcomes new members ABA    Share    ABA warmly welcomes these new members who recently joined the association. Be sure to print and add these companies to your 2012 ABA Motorcoach Marketer. More   The Insider Colby Horton, Vice President of Publishing, 469.420.2601 Download media kit Ashley Whipple, Content Editor, 469.420.2642    Contribute news Dan Ronan, ABA Editor, 202.218.7220    Provide Feedback Matthew Cahill, ABA Associate Editor, 202.218.7206    Provide Feedback This edition of The Insider was sent to ##Email##. To unsubscribe, click here. Did someone forward this edition to you? Subscribe here -- it's free! Recent issues June 18, 2012 June 11, 2012 May 31, 2012 May 17, 2012 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063