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The American Bus Association (ABA) invites every member of the motorcoach industry to participate in its annual Capitol Hill Fly-In event, which is scheduled for April 14. Although this year’s Fly-In might be a little different as it’s being held virtually—bringing Capitol Hill to you!—the mission of the day remains unchanged. More than ever, associations have been keeping the industry in the minds of local and federal representatives to ensure that the issues we’re facing (pandemic or not) aren’t overlooked, and that is the explicit goal of ABA’s event.
ABA seeks to keep the momentum going through the 2021 recovery with a robust agenda for the daylong activities. Recently, ABA released its current lineup of speakers, which includes Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Acting FMCSA Administrator Meera Joshi, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Rep. David Price (D-N.C.), and Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.). Senators Collins and Reed were among the first to champion economic relief for the industry by introducing the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services (CERTS) Act, which was passed in late 2020 as part of President Trump’s last stimulus/recovery plan. More recently, Collins and Reed led a bipartisan group of 30 Senators in calling on the U.S. Department of the Treasury to quickly implement CERTS funding as operators await the opening of the application process.
Registration is open to all members of the industry.
To register or get more information about the schedule or speakers, click here.
[04.06.21]
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DATTCO, a New Britain, Conn.-based passenger transportation company, announced the launch of a nationwide campaign to inspire confidence in travel as its motorcoach fleet is moving again. This is the company’s first marketing campaign since the onset of the COVID pandemic. It celebrates the return to travel, featuring picturesque Coastal New England scenery from travelers' perspective on a group tour. It also features the experiences that people have missed so much this past year: weddings, weekend getaways, and being able to reconnect with family and friends by traveling to their favorite destinations.
DATTCO Vice President, Marketing & Communications Paul Mayer
Paul Mayer, vice president of marketing and communications at DATTCO and the creative director for the campaign, explained, "The messaging speaks directly to travelers who are excited to get back on the road again. According to the U.S Travel Association, more than two-thirds of consumers miss traveling and can't wait to hit the road. At the same time, 87 percent of Americans plan to travel this year, according to Longwoods International. This campaign celebrates the return to travel and helps address the pent-up demand consumers have to get out once again and experience the destinations, beautiful landscapes, events, and experiences that motorcoach travel provides."
DATTCO has continued to refine its Clean Care Certified Initiative to ensure a clean and safe return to travel for its passengers and employees post-pandemic. The four essential pillars of the Clean Care Certified Initiative are a commitment to thorough cleaning, the use of technology to keep passengers safe, protective procedures for employees and passengers, and creating confidence for passengers.
As highlighted in the campaign’s video footage, all DATTCO motorcoaches are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected using EPA-registered cleaning products. Products are applied using electrostatic spraying technology following CDC guidelines before and after each trip. Additional attention is given to high-touch areas throughout the duration of trips. Additionally, DATTCO vehicles are equipped with state-of-the-art technology to keep clean air flowing into the vehicle and removing potentially harmful particles. HVAC systems filter recirculated air to remove respiratory droplets and bacteria, completely exchanging cabin air with fresh air every two minutes.
“As our fleet is moving again, we continue to work closely with customers to design an onboard experience that is appropriate for their group while maintaining a safe atmosphere for everyone,” said VP of Coach & Tour Dennis Lyons. “We hope the procedures we’ve put in place will assure our customers that it is safe to travel by motorcoach and they can feel confident about booking travel with us, whether it’s for a wedding, day trip, or multi-day cross-country tour.”
DATTCO President Don DeVivo commented on the campaign and what it means for travelers: “DATTCO is a trusted leader in transportation services and has made, and will continue to make, significant investments in cleaning equipment and other protection to help ensure a safe environment. Our customers are at the center of everything we do, and we welcome all our passengers back; we cannot wait to be back on the road with you.”
Visit dattco.com for more information.
[04.06.21]
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American travel got a huge shot in the arm—pun intended—last week when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced its new guidelines. In short, fully vaccinated individuals can travel within the U.S. and do not need COVID testing or post-travel self-quarantine as long as they continue to take those precautions while traveling, including wearing a mask, avoiding crowds, socially distancing, and washing hands frequently. Additionally, fully vaccinated people can travel internationally without getting a COVID test before travel (unless required by the destination) and without self-quarantining upon return.
The updated guidance coincided with a robust travel weekend just ahead of Easter, in which airlines saw about 90 percent of pre-COVID levels of passengers.
GBTA Executive Director Suzanne Neufang
“Today’s decision by the CDC is an enormous step forward for business travel in the U.S. and around the world,” says Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) CEO Suzanne Neufang. “By all reports, we are seeing an increasing willingness to travel, especially among travelers who already have been vaccinated against COVID-19. We will continue to work with world leaders, business decision-makers, our 9,000 members globally, and stakeholders across the travel sector to safely and efficiently get business travelers back on the road when they’re ready.”
The new guidelines coincided with a strong March job report, which saw more than 916,000 jobs added to the economy. Of that, 280,000 jobs were added in the leisure and hospitality sectors, marking some much-needed relief to a sector of the U.S. economy that was hit the hardest.
U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow
“The CDC’s new travel guidance is a major step in the right direction that is supported by the science and will take the brakes off the industry that has been hardest hit by the fallout of COVID by far. As travel comes back, U.S. jobs come back, said U.S. Travel Association President & CEO Roger Dow. “The yearlong halt on travel has devastated U.S. employment, with travel-supported jobs accounting for 65 percent of all U.S. jobs lost last year, and this is an opportunity to begin reclaiming a lot of what’s been lost. Meanwhile, it remains important that all eligible Americans get vaccinated as soon as they can in order to more quickly recover the ability for all to travel freely.”
The full CDC guidance can be found here.
[04.05.21]