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- Category: Industry News
The countdown is on. Though we’re just days away from the Chauffeur Driven Executive Retreat in Miami, a handful of slots still remain open. Act quickly to join us in South Beach on June 12-14 for a one-of-a-kind experience that mixes business development education with the local flavor of our host city. We’re proud to present a perfectly balanced schedule that offers cutting-edge education with after-hours fun, both on and off the Loews Miami Beach property.
But what sets our Retreat apart from our fall and Vegas shows is the close-knit networking opportunities you’ll have with other attendees. Since the event is capped at a limited number of attendees, you’re all but guaranteed to have intimate, worthwhile face time with operators and vendors from around the country and world. Whether you’re sharing ideas over breakfast or lunch (meals are included with your registration), at one of our dinner events, or even relaxing by the pool, the Retreat is your chance to create new and lasting business partnerships and friendships.
Don’t believe us? Here’s some raves from past attendees ... “I love the intimacy of the smaller groups to give us an opportunity to network and have more one-on-ones,” says Nancy Vargas of DH2 Chauffeured Transportation.
“I favor the retreats because the networking itself is more intimate and manageable… I truly enjoyed myself and was thankful to be able to spend even more quality time with some wonderful operators and vendors,” says Christina Zanone of Beau Wine Tours.
“I would 100 percent recommend everyone to attend the Chauffeur Driven Executive Retreats. I personally valued the smaller crowd because it gives you a chance to get to know people you may have never had the opportunity to speak to,” says Chelsea Candeub of Park Avenue Limousine.
“I love the smaller groups of exceptional people, who are all focused on making our companies and relationships with one another better and stronger, in a more relaxed atmosphere. Many times, I'm skeptical about spending this much time away from the office, as the ROI usually isn't there. With the Chauffeur Driven Executive Retreat...the value is definitely there,” says Tracy Salinger of Unique Limousine.
To secure your spot for the Retreat, visit cdexecutiveretreat.com TODAY. Discounted hotel rooms are extremely limited, and may be unavailable. Please contact Director of Events Jess Pavlow at jess@chauffeurdriven.com for assistance in securing a room. We hope to see you in Miami!
[06.08.22]
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- Category: Industry News
The US Travel Association’s conference, IPW, is underway this week in Orlando, Florida, and international visitation is on the mind of President & CEO Roger Dow. At issue is the United States’ pre-departure testing requirement for inbound vaccinated air travelers, which Dow notes is having an impact on the post-COVID recovery of the travel and tourism industry, especially as most other sectors are booming. Dow says that international travel spending in the US was still 79 percent below 2019 levels in 2021, while domestic leisure travel continues to be strong despite inflation and higher gas prices.
A recent survey conducted by Morning Consult for US Travel Association (USTA) found that these regulations remain a major barrier to economic recovery, and is contributing to a lag in jobs returning to the leisure & hospitality sector. In that survey, more than half (54 percent) of international travelers polled said the added uncertainty of potentially having to cancel a trip due to US pre-departure testing requirements would have a negative impact on their likelihood to visit the US.
U.S. Travel Association President & CEO Roger Dow
“The recovery of American travel jobs and visitor spending hinges upon the annual growth of international inbound travel. America must apply every possible resource at rebuilding it to full strength to benefit American workers and businesses in every pocket of the country,” said Dow. “More than 40 nations have safely removed their pre-departure testing requirement and a recent survey found that 54 percent of international travelers were less likely to visit the US with the requirement still in place. Average wait times for visa appointments have also soared to more than a year in some of our top source markets, which prevents millions of people from visiting.”
Although the association continues to remain vocal about their efforts, including during a recent meeting with White House officials in late May, Dow is encouraged by the efforts of the administration’s new National Travel and Tourism Strategy, which includes a four-point plan to boost international travel through 2027 and is being led by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
“We commend the leadership of Commerce Secretary Raimondo and the Tourism Policy Council and applaud the ambitious goal of attracting 90 million visitor arrivals annually in the US by 2027. The strategy sets out specific actions that the government can take to rebuild our travel economy and make it more globally competitive than it was before the pandemic,” he said. “There is a lot of work ahead, but the administration must start by immediately repealing the pre-departure testing requirement for all vaccinated international air travelers and taking steps to drastically lower visa wait times.”
Visit ustravel.org for more information.
[06.07.22]
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- Category: Industry News
The American Bus Association Foundation (ABAF) recently released the First Quarter 2022 Motorcoach Builders Survey, which is based on information from the major motorcoach manufacturers that sell vehicles in the United States and Canada. According to data, motorcoach manufacturers continue to face unprecedented challenges. While new motorcoach sales in Q1 2022 are 11 percent above where they were during the same period of 2021, sales are still well below before the onset of COVID.
ABA President & CEO Peter Pantuso
This quarter, the participating manufacturers sold 191 new and 109 preowned coaches, for a total of 300 motorcoaches. This compares with just 270 during January 2021. The bulk of new coach sales were made to public entities like transit companies, which accounted for 58 percent of sales. These public entities tended to continue to purchase motorcoaches during the COVID shutdowns, while sales to private companies fell by almost 50 percent to an average of just 152 per quarter following the lockdown.
Overall, the three-month moving average of total coach sales is down by about 30 percent from the last month prior to the COVID pandemic.
“The motorcoach industry is still reeling from the effects of the pandemic,” said ABAF President Peter Pantuso. “When motorcoaches aren’t running, the trickledown effect on suppliers is devastating. As the industry struggles to rebound from the past two years, we are hopeful sales will also improve. However, it could be well into 2024 and beyond before we see a true comeback for the industry.”
According to the ABAF, the bus industry is the greenest and most affordable transportation sector and was moving more than 600 million passengers annually before the pandemic. As of the beginning of 2022, industry passenger volumes were still down by 62 percent from pre-COVID levels, making it one of the hardest hit parts of the economy.
The ABAF is the scholarship and research arm of the motorcoach, tour, and travel industry. The largest nonprofit in motorcoach group travel, the ABAF distributes $100,000 a year in scholarships to industry families and invests in research to demonstrate the important role motorcoach transportation plays in society.
Visit buses.org/aba-foundation for more information
[06.07.22]