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 Oct. 29, 2012 ABA News | Events | Find a Member | Discount of the Month | Trip Planning | Marketplace | Advocacy | Research     FEATURED NEWS Hurricane Sandy alert ABA    Share    Letter from ABA President Peter Pantuso: As Hurricane Sandy moves north along the eastern seaboard, I want you to know that we are concerned for the safety of our members who, in the coming days, may be impacted by the storm. Our Washington, D.C., office is closely monitoring the developments, and we encourage all of our motorcoach, travel and tourism members to be prepared and to take whatever prudent steps you feel are necessary to protect your families and businesses. Due to the storm, the ABA offices are currently closed. We will keep our members up to date through www.buses.org, Facebook and Twitter. You are in our thoughts, and we hope that you will get through these next few challenging days OK. More  INDUSTRY NEWS Bus regulators hasten shutdowns to prevent crashes ABA    Share    The Transportation Department is adopting a rule that would prevent the type of regulatory reprieve that a bus company received last year right before a fatal crash. Read the USA Today article or see the detailed notice in the Oct. 23 Federal Register. The revised rule goes into effect Nov. 23. In memoriam: Ruth McKinney ABA    Share    Ruth McKinney, a longtime friend and supporter of the tour and travel industry, passed away Oct. 25 after a battle with cancer. She was 80 years old. McKinney was born Jan. 29, 1932, to Henry and Esther Watkins, the founders of Good Will Tours of Erie, Kan. More Unpack once and Visit Countless Destinations! Fairfield is conveniently situated between San Francisco and Sacramento just outside Napa Valley making it an ideal location to visit countless historic, world famous destinations and attractions without having to pack up and move every night! Come enjoy and explore Fairfield, California! more The motorcoach industry embraces drivers and guides eTurboNews    Share    Silverado Stage's Director of International Sales, Jim Federman, along with Ted Bravos, president of International Tour Managemet Institute, discuss the growth and benefits of using the motorcoach industry with Sandy Dhuyvetter on BusinessTravelRADIO. More Monster storm could have wide-ranging impact on business travel Travel Weekly    Share    The potentially monster storm system projected to hit the East Coast just before Halloween — dubbed "Frankenstorm" by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — could cost $600 million in business-travel spending and force the cancellation of half a million business trips, the Global Business Travel Association said. More Best Western CEO stresses importance of guest interaction HotelNewsNow.com    Share    Best Western International puts guest interaction at the forefront of its service strategy, company President and CEO David Kong said during Best Western's recent annual convention. Therefore, the company will likely minimize its use of technology that reduces its points of contact with guests, such as those that allow guests to check in without assistance. "We are in the hospitality business. Is there such a thing as virtual hospitality? Of course not," Kong said. 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 Train or plane? More travelers choose both The New York Times    Share    Air travelers in Canada, France, Germany and Spain may increasingly find that they are doing part of their journey on the ground, as airlines work with rail companies to sell tickets for combined trips. William Agius, a lecturer at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and a frequent traveler, said he had booked tickets on Air France, Lufthansa and Swiss that included legs by rail. "During the booking process, you notice no difference, and at the end of the process you have a message alerting you to the fact that that particular service is operated by train and not by plane," he said. More Rezgo enables mobile booking for hundreds of tour operators TravelDailyNews    Share    Rezgo announced the official release of the Rezgo Mobile Booking Engine for tour and activity operators. The mobile booking engine is fully integrated with the Rezgo tour operator software and automatically displays a touch friendly mobile Web interface to travelers who visit a tour operator's Rezgo powered website using a mobile device such as the Apple iPhone or Google's Android devices. More Tour operators increase market share PlanetSKI    Share    A new survey claims people are moving away from booking independently and returning to the tour operators. The survey covers year-round holidays to all destinations but is reflected in the ski industry. The latest figures are in the 2012 Consumer Travel Trends Survey produced by the Association of British Travel Agents. It claims a significant jump in bookings made through agents over the last three years. More Beef up your business with social research Business 2 Community    Share    Competition in the travel industry is fierce, especially online. And since the travel and tourism industry has taken a bit of a hit in the last few years — with many people not being able to afford travel and choosing not to because of the headache — this article focuses on how social research can be used specifically to help those in the travel industry. More One stop - History, Art & Performances The Cultural Plaza will thrill visitors with the wonder of Florida’s natural beginnings at the Florida Museum and the treasures of the New Asian Wing at the Harn Museum, one of the largest university art museums. Have lunch and then see a show at the Phillips Center. Real. Fun. Events. Have you seen the events going on at Panama City Beach? People are talking about more than just our beautiful beaches. They’re spreading the news about the tons of exciting, world-class events with something to offer to everyone. No matter the time of year, you’re sure to find exactly what you’re looking for. See all that’s going on at visitpanamacitybeach.com Life's Greater in The Pocono Mountains For a group setting that truly inspires, come to the Pocono Mountains. With 2400 square miles of natural beauty, charming towns and unique attractions to explore, there's something for everyone. Victorian Villages and Outdoor Adventure nestled in northeastern Pennsylvania only 90 minutes from NYC and Philadelphia. Resorts, Hotels and Country Inns offering genuine hospitality in a mountain setting  ASSOCIATION NEWS Exclusive course teaches you to manage crisis communications ABA    Share    Presidents and general managers, safety and communications directors, dispatchers, owners and other safety-critical personnel shouldn't miss ABA's exclusive Managing Crisis Communications course taught by experts from the National Transportation Safety Board. Prepare a plan now to manage crisis situations and communicate effectively with families, authorities and the media. Waiting until an accident happens is too late. Don't risk your company's goodwill, operating authority or your livelihood. Register for the NTSB course today. ABA webinar on social media tools like Pinterest postponed ABA    Share    Due to storms on the East Coast, ABA's webinar on innovative social media tools scheduled for Oct. 30 has been postponed until further notice. More Collaborate in the cloud with new MS Office 365 member discount ABA    Share    ABA members now have access to Microsoft Office 365 through the InterCall member conferencing program, which delivers the power of cloud productivity to your business. Office 365 is a flexible per user/per month subscription service with a number of plan and service options. You can choose the products that best meet your needs as a standalone service, or you can select from Productivity Plans, which bundle services and provide additional savings. To enroll, call 1-800-514-2818 or click here. ABA announces 100th Marketplace sponsor: NYC & Company ABA    Share    ABA is pleased to announce that NYC & Company has come on board as the 100th sponsor at ABA's 2013 Marketplace. The Marketplace sponsorship program is tailor-made to give your organization big-name recognition with hundreds of bus and tour owners and operators throughout North America who plan tours for millions of passengers each year. Through a Marketplace sponsorship, you can make valuable contacts that will lead to profitable business with the very people who make the decisions. It's not too late to make your splash! Contact Jana Fields at jfields@buses.org or 202-218-7213 to find out how you can get in front of the more than 300 appointment-taking buyers already registered. Remember When... ...it was easy to enjoy Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Tetons and Mount Rushmore while Traveling? At Blair Hotels it still is! Call Today Toll Free 1-800-527-5544 Expect the Unexpected From hot gaming action, to fun festivals and parades, you’ll find everything we have to offer is served up with a generous helping of our signature Southern hospitality. Come, see for yourself. ehoward@sbctb.org or call 800-551-8682 ext. 104 ABA Fall 2013 Board Meeting to be held in historic Charleston, SC ABA    Share    ABA is pleased to announce that the Charleston Area Convention and Visitor Bureau and its local partners will host ABA's 2013 Fall Board Meeting in historic Charleston, S.C. ABA board members representing all segments of the motorcoach, tour and travel industry will converge Sept. 22-24 at the Charleston Place Hotel for meetings and accommodations while enjoying the many attractions and amenities the area offers. ABA welcomes new members ABA    Share    Oct. 29 — 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 ABA Foundation solicits donations for Marketplace auctions ABA    Share    Why donate to the ABA Foundation auctions at Marketplace 2013? You get marketing exposure with more than 3,000 industry colleagues at the show and you support needed scholarships and important industry research. Donors receive exposure before, during and after the auctions in print and digital media, with donation options starting at just $250. The live and silent auctions are generously sponsored by Blue Man Group, Wet 'n Wild Orlando and Universal. Time is running out, so get your donations in today! More Watch the October edition of Motorcoach Travel News ABA    Share    Oct. 29 is an important date for the American's with Disabilities Act. The law goes into full effect, and ABA will explain what it means to motorcoach companies. For years in Washington, D.C., Greyhound and Peter Pan Bus Lines have been headquartered at their terminal on First St. NE. But in late September, the companies move to historic Union Station where the huge facility will now truly be an intermodal transportation center, with Washington DC Metro, motorcoaches, Amtrak, VRE and MARC commuter rail all headquartered there. We'll have a report. MTN announces a new sponsor and one-minute regular feature: MCI joins the show with a regular report on the environmental benefits of riding on a motorcoach. This is now a monthly sponsored feature beginning in November. Welcome MCI. ABA President and CEO Peter Pantuso will join us with the latest on Marketplace 2013 and some other big announcements. Pantuso also will discuss his recent testimony to Congress about Amtrak subsidies. ABA is joining with the National Transportation Safety Board to hold a one-day seminar Jan. 10 in Charlotte, N.C. ABA will tell you why it's important to sign up and be a part of this great safety event. The motorcoach industry fondly remembers legendary singer Andy Williams, who helped build Branson, Mo., into the destination it is today.   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 Oct. 29, 2012 TEST Oct. 29, 2012 Oct. 22, 2012 Oct. 15, 2012 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063