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 Jul. 9, 2012 ABA News | Events | Find a Member | Discount of the Month | Trip Planning | Marketplace | Advocacy | Research     INDUSTRY NEWS President signs highway bill Truckinginfo    Share    President Barack Obama recently signed the long-awaited highway bill into law at the White House. The bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, or MAP-21, funds transportation programs through September 2014. The bill holds transportation spending at current levels, authorizing $101.3 billion for highways and transit over the next 27 months. More Daimler acquires minority stake in Motor Coach Industries PeHUB    Share    Daimler is taking a minority stake in Motor Coach Industries International, which is backed by KPS Capital Partners. Financial terms weren't announced. As part of the strategic partnership, MCI will become the exclusive distributor of Setra motorcoaches and aftermarket parts in the United States and Canada. MCI, of Schaumburg, Ill., makes intercity highway coaches in North America, while Daimler is a global maker of buses and coaches over eight tons gross vehicle weight. More Brand USA details 2011 spending, donors Travel Weekly    Share    The Corporation for Travel Promotion released its annual report for its first fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, indicating that it spent nearly $3.5 million during its startup year, 37 percent of which went to administrative expenses, with the remaining 63 percent going to support its core function of travel promotion. More Send the same message for all accidents large or small BUSRide    Share    Accidents are costly. An accident of any degree invites variable expenses that are hard to plan for in any budget or projection. Even the most minor incident or scrape requires greater sales revenue to fund the necessary repair. Still, there are many operators who feel accidents are simply a natural and inevitable occurrence given the nature of the business. This may be true to a certain degree. However, not only do operators assume accidents are inevitable, they also often segregate them into various categories according to their severity. Operators must be careful not to send the wrong message when insignificant accidents occur. More Moishe Simon's bus trip down memory lane Toronto Star    Share    For his 80th birthday, Moishe Simon didn't just take a walk down memory lane. He rented a bus and invited 50 family members and friends to come along for the ride. Actually, it was Simon's younger brother Norm who came up with the idea for Moishe's Magnificent Memory Tour, as they called it. "This is a destination birthday party. The destination is the past," Norm said. More New Silk Road package is not just for shopaholics Travel Weekly    Share    Clients whose idea of luxury travel is being ahead of the curve on new destinations, and bringing home souvenirs to prove it, might want to set their sights on Uzbekistan. Silk Road Treasure Tours, which specializes in custom private and group tours to Central Asia's "Stan" countries, has created a 10-night, small-group Uzbekistan Shopper's Paradise tour designed to coax even non-shoppers to open their wallets. More 3 top hotels for eco-tours Forbes    Share    Ecotourism is one of this summer's booming travel trends, and luxury hotels are getting on board — offering chances to learn about nature while exploring stunning surroundings. Forbes Travel Guide found three swanky retreats that offer educational outings — from a California coastal adventure with environmentalist Jean-Michel Cousteau to a Hilton Head wine and cheese cruise that features alligator spotting. These environmentally friendly escapes promise a feel-good activity and great photo ops, whether you prefer rugged exploration or eco-education with a bit of luxury. More Transportation transformed by technology, road map sales drop The Associated Press via Oshkosh Northwestern    Share    Used to be, Dad would stuff a half-dozen maps in the glove box before setting out with the family on a road trip to see the waterfalls at Yosemite or the granite faces of Mount Rushmore. Colorful maps bearing the logos of the oil companies that printed them — names like Texaco, Gulf, Esso — once brimmed from displays at filling stations, free for the taking. But now millions of Americans will probably reach for technology before they're tempted to unfold a paper road map. More  ASSOCIATION NEWS ABA responds to Washington Examiner editorial on Chinatown buses ABA    Share    Peter Pantuso, president of ABA writes: "The recent editorial "Chinatown Bus Lines Fill Important Niche" was nothing short of misguided and showed a lack of concern for public safety. While the editorial points out many good reasons for travel by motorcoach and observes that motorcoach travel in the point-to-point or city-pairs market continues to grow, that growth is largely a result of reputable carriers, including Bolt Bus, Megabus, DC2NY, Vamoose Bus and others in the Washington market and in other cities across North America." More ABA Foundation names scholarship winners ABA    Share    The American Bus Association Foundation announced its annual George T. Snyder Scholarship Award winners for the 2012-2013 academic year. One student, John Sutton, is the winner of the $10,000 Driving the Future award. Nineteen students will be presented scholarships of $2,500. This is the 15th year of the program, which is designed to support college students pursuing coursework toward a career in the motorcoach, tourism and travel industry. More Fall Board of Directors meeting set ABA    Share    The American Bus Association is pleased to hold its regular fall Board of Directors meeting in Chatham, Mass., Sept. 17-18, at the Wequassett Resort and Golf Club. The decision to hold the fall Board of Directors meeting at this location was made after discussions with the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce/Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is one of the sponsors of the meeting. More New fiscal year? Register now for Marketplace at an early bird rate ABA    Share    They say, "The early bird catches the worm," but you've gone hungry because you weren't able to register for Marketplace until the new fiscal year. Now that July 1 has come around, spread your wings and fly over to our registration page where early bird rates remain in effect. More than a meeting, Marketplace is a can't-miss annual reunion where travel industry birds of a feather flock together. We hope you fly south for the winter to join us in Charlotte, N.C., this Jan. 5-9! More Associate exhibit opportunities at Marketplace ABA    Share    Attention associate members! Only Marketplace offers flexible, low-cost opportunities to exhibit your products and services on the Marketplace floor. Tap in to the tremendous purchasing power of ABA members by marketing directly to the decision-makers, including hundreds of owner/operators and sales directors. Get four days of high-traffic exposure with a full-week exhibit, or choose our one-day exhibit option (just 30 booths available). Both include a complimentary delegate registration and other amenities. Learn more and reserve your booth today. $250 giveaway from CharterBusConnect.com ABA    Share    Bus operator members who participate in CharterBusConnect.com have the opportunity to win a $250 Visa card just by adding a link from your website to CharterBusConnect.com. This link will go directly to your company profile on CharterBusConnect.com where users can request information from your company only. For those members who have already placed the link on their website, please forward your URL to info@groupconnect.com for verification. If you need your link or have questions, please contact CharterBusConnect.com at info@groupconnect.com or 1-866-644-1664. 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 Open position: General manager The Atlantic Oceanside Hotel & Conference Center    Share    The Atlantic Oceanside Hotel & Conference Center in Bar Harbor, Maine, is seeking a person for the year round position of general manager. The ideal candidate will have at least three years of hotel GM experience, preferably with some F & B and group experience as well. Qualified applicants may submit a resume and cover letter to Wil Gaines, P.O. Box 7, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609. Open position: Vice president, marketing The Newseum    Share    The Newseum currently is recruiting to fill the newly created position of vice president for marketing. The Newseum offers visitors an experience that blends five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits. Its mission is to educate the public about the value of a free press in a free society and tell the stories of the world's important events in unique and engaging ways. 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 July 9, 2012 July 2, 2012 June 25, 2012 June 18, 2012 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063