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 Sep. 4, 2012 ABA News | Events | Find a Member | Discount of the Month | Trip Planning | Marketplace | Advocacy | Research     FEATURED NEWS New study: Motorcoaches provided 700 million passenger trips in 2010 ABA    Share    A new study from the ABA Foundation shows that the motorcoach industry in the U.S. and Canada provided 694 million passenger trips and 76.1 billion passenger miles in 2010. "The small-business network that makes up the motorcoach industry continues to provide a remarkable level of cost-effective transportation for our nation," said Peter J. Pantuso, president of the ABA Foundation. "We are proud of the fact that, even in difficult times, our industry continues to change and grow to meet the demands of the traveling public." More Track Your Vehicles on the Road in Real-Time The Saucon TDS Enterprise System allows you to easily and effectively monitor your fleet remotely including vehicle location, fuel levels, engine diagnostics, tire pressure and more. Offered by ABC Companies, Saucon TDS is a leading mobile resource management system. Learn more about Saucon TDS and view all ABC parts specials.  INDUSTRY NEWS Travel by bus in the US: Driving to extremes CBS News    Share    On Sept. 2, "CBS News Sunday Morning" and senior travel correspondent Peter Greenberg did a 7-minute story on the strong growth and the many safety improvements taking place in the motorcoach industry. The broadcast has already been seen by 3.84 million people, and ABA would like you to see it as well. More Charlotte to run convention charters fought by bus firms Bloomberg    Share    Charlotte's city-run bus agency in North Carolina won a U.S. waiver to operate charters at the Democratic National Convention over the objections of motorcoach companies, which said they were being squeezed out. The Federal Transit Administration's decision temporarily sets aside a U.S. rule prohibiting taxpayer-supported transit authorities from competing with private-bus operators. More Workshop helps destinations 'engineer unforgettable experiences' ABA    Share    For destinations working to energize their offerings and develop innovative experiences for the group travel market, the upcoming Experience Lab in Columbus, Ohio, is a perfect opportunity. The Lab provides destination marketing executives and travel suppliers with a framework of strategies and tools to engineer experiential tourism products for their organizations. Hosted by "The Opportunity Guy" Joe Veneto, it is a unique, hands-on learning experience that offers actionable insights and ideas. More New law makes party bus operators more accountable for passenger behavior KCBS-FM    Share    Operators of so-called "party buses" would bear legal responsibility for drinking by underage passengers under a bill that responds to several recent tragedies. AB45 would hold party bus operators to the same standards as limousine drivers. It requires them to have a chaperone to make sure underage passengers don't drink and makes them liable if passengers break the law. More Hertz buying Dollar Thrifty for $2.6 billion in cash Bloomberg    Share    Hertz Global Holdings Inc. and Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group Inc. jumped after Hertz struck a deal to buy the smaller company for about $2.6 billion following more than half a decade of trying. Dollar Thrifty rose 7.5 percent to $87.08 in New York for the biggest jump since May 2011. The shares have advanced 24 percent this year. Hertz increased 8.1 percent, the most since September 2011, to $14.21. More Global survey finds return of pre-recession travel habits Travel Pulse    Share    Leisure travelers are doing less of the things that characterized the economic hardship of recent years and are now adopting more behaviors that confirm the importance of travel in their emerging lifestyles, according to the new MMGY Global/Harrison Group 2012 Portrait of American Travelers. More US presidential candidates largely ignore travel industry despite job and economic growth potential The Huffington Post    Share    The U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration announced earlier this month that 2012 could be a record year for travel and tourism, with international visitors to the U.S. having spent $82.2 billion on travel so far this year, a bump of 11 percent over 2011. But with all that money on the table, the candidates have been slow to act. More Travel still necessary for doing business Marketing Daily    Share    American business travelers still feel the need to have face-to-face meetings in order to grow their businesses, according to a recent survey. Nearly 79 percent claim that in-person meetings are necessary for doing business successfully. More than 76 percent of business travelers report that these trips help their companies grow, according to the survey, conducted by the Global Business Travel Association Foundation. More Family affair Travel Weekly    Share    With family travelers making up 30 percent of U.S. adult leisure travelers, the lucrative family travel market is undergoing significant growth and offering great opportunity to travel sellers. But these are not yesterday's families, and suppliers and sellers alike are discovering that a decent swimming pool or some chicken fingers on the kids' menu aren't going to cut it anymore. More Cox & Kings unveils new exotic tours in North Korea, Nicaragua, Mexico Travel Pulse    Share    Cox & Kings, The Americas unveiled three new tours for 2013 that break new ground for the 254-year-old tour operator. The company is offering new tours for North Korea, Nicaragua and Mexico, and a tour for disabled travelers in India. More Beyond social media — A rough guide to employee-generated content in the travel industry Tnooz    Share    While many hotels are still looking for that elusive social ROI, recent Panda and Penguin updates to Google suggest that direct bookings from social might not always be the right goal. Especially from Google, these updates increasingly rely on fresh, dynamic, human-generated content versus traditional SEO keywords. The good news: Hotels are excellent natural sources of such content. A new goal, therefore, is to drive higher search engine results by using social. More Ideally located between Washington DC and Baltimore Unrivaled access- 10 minutes to BWI Airport and I-95. Affordable venues- over 3,000 sleeping rooms and ample bus parking. Memorable experiences- festivals, shopping, theatre and more! MORE Discover the unexpected in Jackson Your guests can satisfy their curiosities about life behind bars and discover art, culture, festivals, events, wineries, farms and the beauty of nature. MORE  ASSOCIATION NEWS ABA Foundation needs your help for a group tourism survey ABA    Share    The ABA Foundation's annual survey to measure the economic impact of group tourism educates policymakers and the public about the importance of motorcoach travel and tourism. By showing the economic value of group travel, we are able to change minds and win allies in legislatures across the country. Please invest 10 minutes to help build your business. Fill out the Tour/Bus Operator Survey or Venue Survey today. Please contact our survey partner John Dunham & Associates at 212-239-2105 if you have any questions. Get more discounts with free Office Depot program ABA    Share    The American Bus Association has partnered with Office Depot® to bring ABA members and supporters a free national discount program. Save up to 80 percent off preferred products. You can shop online or go to the nearest Office Depot location to take advantage of these special discounted prices on products and services. More Fraudulent solicitation targeting ABA members ABA    Share    Members should disregard any solicitations they have received in the mail from the "Fair Guide" or "Construct Data Publishers" seeking information for an "exhibitors directory" purportedly related to ABA's Marketplace event. More ABA seeks nominations for 2013 board of directors ABA    Share    The American Bus Association is calling for some of the next leaders in the industry to step forward. ABA is seeking nominations for leading bus operators, tour operators, associated service providers, manufacturers and travel industry members to join the ABA board of directors. The ABA board is instrumental in providing leadership and direction for the association and to the motorcoach, tour and travel industry. More Booking your Marketplace hotel ABA    Share    Host hotels are filling up, so make certain you have your reservation confirmed. Double check your arrival and departure dates so you don't miss any of Marketplace's fantastic networking and business opportunities. For online reservations, visit the Marketplace housing gateway now, and click "Already have a reservation?" More ABA welcomes new members ABA    Share    Sept. 4 — New members Help ABA give a warm welcome to 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 Sept. 4, 2012 Aug. 27, 2012 Aug. 20, 2012 Aug. 13, 2012 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063