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 Aug. 6, 2012 ABA News | Events | Find a Member | Discount of the Month | Trip Planning | Marketplace | Advocacy | Research     FEATURED NEWS NASCAR president to deliver keynote at Marketplace 2013 ABA    Share    The American Bus Association is pleased to announce that NASCAR President Mike Helton will deliver the keynote address at the opening ceremony of Marketplace 2013 in Charlotte, N.C., on Jan. 6. Helton is considered NASCAR's most visible leader. He was promoted to that position in November 2000 when he succeeded the legendary Bill France Jr., who had served as NASCAR's president since 1972 and had built NASCAR from a southern regional sport to a national sport during his tenure. More  INDUSTRY NEWS Charterbusconnect.com delivering safe, reliable bus travel ABA    Share    CharterBusConnect.com, a joint venture between the Ontario Motor Coach Association and the American Bus Association, provides an invaluable online portal for the consumer to book safe, reliable bus transportation and provide more charter business to bus operators. "These days consumers have to be vigilant in researching the bus companies they are doing business with and be very leery when they aren't dealing directly with bus companies. CharterBusConnect.com provides the consumer with direct contact to safe, reliable bus transportation providers from the largest network of tour and coach operators in North America," said Tony Funderburg, vice president of sales and marketing. More Wheelchair Retrofits: Making Your Fleet Accessible With extensive experience installing lifts in a variety of makes and models, ABC Companies is your go-to resource for wheelchair lift installations. Wheelchair lift retrofits are available for Van Hool C2045, DL3, and D4500 coaches. For more information or to schedule a lift installation, contact Jon Savitz, ABC Companies, at 800.222.2871 x 77116 or jsavitz@abc-companies.com. 3 keys to success with next federal transportation bill Transportation Issues Daily    Share    Whether you love it, hate it or have mixed feelings about it, the U.S. Congress has finally passed a reauthorization bill establishing ground rules for our nation's transportation policy until Oct. 1, 2014. So what's an advocate to do now? While it's tempting to sit back and relax (or fume), with just over two years to go until the current bill expires your voices are needed more than ever. Once you've made your way through the 599-page bill and know for sure whether you're pleased or outraged, focus on the following three keys to building success for the next time around — because it's coming sooner than we might think. More Early results of 1st US tourism campaign overwhelmingly positive, 2-for-1 match deadline draws near Brand USA    Share    In the United Kingdom, the percentage of people who intend to visit the U.S. has grown 12 percent since the launch of the nation's first globally coordinated tourism campaign. In Japan, that percentage has grown nearly 14 percent. More Employment recovery led by travel industry Travel Agent Central    Share    The travel industry continues to be one of the prime drivers of the nation's economy, adding 9,200 new American jobs in July — the highest increase in four months — bringing total direct employment to 7.6 million, reports David Huether, senior vice president of economics and research at the U.S. Travel Association. Huether provided analysis on today's Labor Department report that the unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 8.3 percent for July. More Amtrak launches mobile eTicket program nationwide CNET    Share    Amtrak is launching its new eTicket program, which will let passengers board trains nationwide without a paper ticket. Instead of standing in line at the ticket window, frantically checking the schedule board as a train arrives — and then sails past — travelers with an eTicket can go straight to the gate, and then just show their eTicket to the conductor on their smartphone or mobile device. More For marketing success, follow the customer's journey Travel Market Report    Share    Successful marketing depends on understanding the experience and stages your customer goes through. The customer journey has five simple steps, and you must address each of them. More What are the top 5 questions from startups entering the travel industry? Tnooz    Share    As a neutral and independent standards body, OpenTravel receives questions about the travel industry. Topics range from connectivity and distribution technology to segment-specific questions (airline pricing and scheduling, hotel ownership structures, etc.). It really shows that the technical and commercial machinations of the travel industry are opaque to new entrants, and that opacity can make it difficult to break in. So what are the top five questions from startups and new entrants to travel? More Fixed budget: The model of the future for business travel? Travel Industry Wire    Share    Corporate travel managers are exploring new approaches to travel management. One such approach is that of a fixed budget per trip. More Consumer trends 2012: Mobile strategy Travel Weekly    Share    As travel bookings on smartphones and tablets surge, there's mounting evidence that a new era of travel retailing is under way. In fact, some are likening the consumer impact of increasingly powerful mobile devices to the travel industry's transformation with the emergence of the Internet. Fortunately, analysts and leading hosting agencies already are focused on ways for agents to turn this transformation into an advantage. More Study: DMOs embracing digital marketing Successful Meetings    Share    Although they still spend a majority of their budgets on traditional marketing vehicles, destination marketing organizations are making significant investments in digital marketing, according to new research conducted by DMAI. More Rocky Mountaineer offers 1st US departure Travel Weekly    Share    Canadian rail operator Rocky Mountaineer has launched a rail journey from Seattle to the Canadian Rockies, marking the first time the luxury train service has connected the U.S. and Canada. The 10-day Coastal Passage route goes from Seattle, up the Pacific Northwest coastal shoreline to Vancouver, and then into the Canadian Rockies with stops in Kamloops and Jasper. Guests then switch from rail to motorcoach to travel to the Columbia Icefield, Lake Louise, Banff and Calgary. More  ASSOCIATION NEWS ABA supports NTSB findings in Sky Express accident that left 4 dead ABA    Share    On July 31, at the National Transportation Safety Board's Washington, D.C., headquarters, the board held a public hearing into the cause of the May 31, 2011, Sky Express motorcoach accident. Four people died and more than 50 others were injured. The bus was bound for New York City when it overturned on Interstate 95 about 30 miles north of Richmond near Doswell, Va. More Motorcoach Marketer proofs due today ABA    Share    Have you updated your company's listing for the 2013 Motorcoach Marketer directory? The deadline for submitting corrections, changes and purchased listings for next year's directory is 5 p.m. EDT today, Aug. 6. This is your opportunity to put your company's best foot forward to the more than 3,800 companies that comprise ABA's membership. To update your profile, please visit My ABA online or call Katie Brewer at 800-283-2877 ext. 244 today. More New MTN airs August 13 ABA via YouTube    Share    The American Bus Association's August edition of Motorcoach Travel News is coming to The Insider on Aug. 13. Look for these stories and more: Jessica Ghawi, the daughter of much-beloved ABA member Sandy Phillips, was killed in the Aurora, Colo., movie theater shootings. The family needs our thoughts and prayers during these difficult days. They have started a scholarship fund to remember Jessica, and ABA members are encouraged to donate. The National Transportation Safety Board harshly criticizes the driver of last year's deadly Sky Express accident in Virginia, and the NTSB says the company and government regulators also failed travelers. The new transportation law is going into effect. We'll look at where the opportunities are for good companies to improve their businesses under this measure. ABA President and CEO Peter Pantuso will join us. Marketplace 2013 is five months away, and we'll tell you how, when it comes to growing your business, Marketplace is the first and best show to attend. A leading business/economics expert will explain why. Watch the current edition of MTN now. 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 Aug. 6, 2012 July 30, 2012 July 23, 2012 July 16, 2012 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063