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Greater Birmingham CVB Joins PBA!
With an amazing selection of attractions and restaurants, Birmingham has all the ingredients for a tour your group will never forget. And when it's time to rest up, their extensive selection of accommodations is sure to satisfy!
Motorcoach tours overnighting in the area will even receive a complimentary Birmingham “Send-Off”. Greater Birmingham CVB is dedicated to helping you make your tour a success!
Contact: Tara Walton 205-214-9206 or twalton@inbirmingham.com.
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Motorcoach Tire Sales Joins PBA!
Motorcoach Tire Sales was founded in 2013 as a tire supplier to the motor coach industry. Using our warehouses, we ship tires directly to the fleet's front door.
Motorcoach Tire Sales strives on being efficient, therefore saving customers money. We provide different manufacturers tires to ensure their customers have inventory when they need it, and a choice of a product that works for them.
Contact: Bill Kaiser 678-463-4110 or bill@motorcoachtiresales.com.
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Split Rock Resort Joins PBA!
Split Rock Resort – Where families have been making memories for generations. Enjoy a Pocono Mountains escape year-round at their four seasons resort close to attractions plus, white water rafting, hiking, biking & all that nature has to offer.
Contact: Pamela Furman 570-453-9157 or salescorp@splitrockhotel.com.
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Anderson Coach & Travel Announces Partnership
PBA Member, Anderson Coach & Travel and Napaway Coach announced a partnership marrying the Napaway brand and proprietary system with Anderson’s long history in motorcoach operations.
Anderson will add co-branded motorcoaches equipped with Napaway’s luxury seating system to its fleet, allowing the company to offer a first-class option to its half-million yearly riders. As a Napaway partner, Anderson secures the rights to operate Napaway coaches within an exclusive territory, which includes Buffalo, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh. Read more...
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Fullington Trailways Hosts PA Representative
On March 7th, PBA Member Fullington Trailways hosted Pennsylvania Representative Paul Takac. Rep. Takac toured the State College facility and learned more about the company and toured two of the coaches utilized on the daily departures (lineruns).
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Sandy Borowsky, Starr Bus Charter & Tours Nominated for Award
PBA Member, Starr Bus Charter & Tours recently announced that PBA Board Member, Sandy Borowsky has been nominated for the prestigious 2024 Women in Tourism Awards!
"As our dedicated 3rd generation owner, Sandy continually inspires us with her passion for crafting unforgettable travel experiences. Her commitment to excellence and innovation in the tourism industry has rightfully earned her this well-deserved recognition. Join us in celebrating Sandy's outstanding achievements!" Read the post.
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ABC Companies and Its Customers Remain Top Priority As Van Hool Addresses Financial Challenges
PBA Member, ABC Companies shared a press release in light of the of the domestic coverage in Belgium pertaining to Van Hool. Read the press release.
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Busbud Acquires Brazilian Booking Marketplace Leader Buson
PBA Member, Busbud announced it is acquiring Buson, a leader in the bus booking marketplace in Brazil. This acquisition solidifies Busbud’s leadership position in the Americas. Brazil is the third largest bus market globally. The acquisition of Buson follows Busbud joining forces with Recorrido, the leading intercity bus marketplace in Chile. Read the press release.
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Renovated Caesars and Tropicana Transportation Centers!
PBA Member, Caesars Entertainment in Atlantic City, in partnership with the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA), is thrilled to unveil a $1 million renovation of the bus transportation centers at Caesars and Tropicana.
As part of the final phase of enhancements at the Caesars Entertainment Atlantic City resorts, the renovations are aimed at enhancing the arrival and departure experience for guests. Both Caesars and Tropicana received new ceiling tiles, new floors, paint, and wallpaper. Caesars added new seating and lighting, and Tropicana renovated its workstations, adding three additional stations to better assist guests.
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American Bible Society Announces Closure of the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center
American Bible Society announced the upcoming closure of PBA member, the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center (FLDC), a discovery center designed for sharing the importance of the impact of Scripture on the development of the United States. The FLDC as currently constituted closed on April 1, 2024. Read the press release.
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PBA Driver and Employee of Distinction Awards! | |
PBA recognized seven PBA members’ employees as the recipients of the 2023 Drivers and Employees of Distinction. The recipients were honored at the March 25, 2024 Networking Reception the day prior to the Marketplace in State College, PA. | |
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Congratulations to all the honorees!
Employee of Distinction Honorees:
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Robin Enochs, Fullington Trailways
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Christa McCusker, Klein Transportation
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Jeannie Sadaphal, Ark Encounter/Creation Museum
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Kristy Shay, Premiere #1 Limousine
Driver of Distinction Honorees:
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Steve Addleman, Fullington Trailways
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Robert Drabick, Benedict’s Bus Service
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Michael Swingle, Martz Trailways
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The PBA Marketplace was held March 25-26, 2024 in Happy Valley, PA. The PBA Marketplace Committee, the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and the Nittany Sports Centre collaborated to deliver a successful event. The partners showcased Happy Valley's many tourism assets and attractions to PBA member tour operators and tour bus companies as the host location.
In total, we welcomed over 500 Group Leaders arriving on 14 Motorcoaches, plus six Tour Companies who visited over 100 travel and tourism booths.
During the two-day event, we held our Board of Director’s meeting, a Best Practices Roundtable Discussion, a lively networking reception, presented the Driver & Employee of Distinction Awards, a Dine-Around night, a breakfast briefing, and the main event: Marketplace.
Tom Brynan was honored for his many years of serving on the PBA Board of Directors. We congratulated him and his wife Wendy on their retirement during the networking reception, where Tom was made an honorary member and given a gift.
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The early bird and PBA door prize winners are:
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Annapolis Tours and Cruises by Watermark - Early Bird Gift Card
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Destination Gettysburg - 1 year PBA membership
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Museum of the American Revolution - 2024 Annual Conference Registration
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The Maine Tour Connection - 2025 Marketplace Booth
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Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau - 2025 Marketplace Directory Full-page color ad
Marketplace attendees, your feedback is so important to us. Please let us know your thoughts by taking a few minutes to submit your feedback. The deadline to submit is April 5th. One of the first 20 responders has an opportunity to win a gift card!
Click here to view Marketplace photos!
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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! | |
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PBA Scholarship Program - Application Period is Open Until April 30
The goal of the PBA scholarship is to support Member education goals and to encourage the pursuit of formal education. Formal education includes trade certification, specialized training and of course, college. There will be two annual scholarships awarded in the amount of $1,000 each. The scholarship will be awarded at PBA’s 2024 Annual Conference. Application Deadline: April 30, 2024.
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PBA - Pay It Foward Program!
As a PBA member, when you refer a new member to PBA, they will receive 15% off their first year's dues.
With the Pay-It-Forward program, as the referrer, you will also receive 15% off your next renewal. Visit www.pabus.org/Join-PBA. Questions? Contact Pattie Cowley.
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District Lobby Week April 22-26
As previously announced, PBA is doing a District Lobby Week with local House members and Senators, during the week of April 22-26, 2024.
We held a Pre-Lobby Week prep call on March 28th where our lobbying firm, One+ Strategies and Senator Greg Rothman shared what is needed for a successful lobby week and to educate you on the process. They gave pointers on scheduling the meetings, how to prepare for the meetings and suggested post-meeting follow-up.
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The goal of the District Lobby Week is to highlight your operations and the impact you have on your local community and the Commonwealth.
As you know, tourism is a huge industry in Pennsylvania, and your motorcoach operations play a major role in helping the tourism industry thrive.
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2024 Annual Conference - Registration Deadline is May 24! | |
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The 2024 Annual Conference will be hosted by Visit Ithaca in Ithaca, NY June 17-20, 2024! We will be experiencing the area with FAMS, Dine-Around Night and Opening & Closing venues at area partners.
Note, to receive Member pricing, you must be recognized by the member portal, identified by your email or you can login to the system.
If you have not created an account yet, please do so today.
Note, Exhibitors who attended the 2024 Marketplace, can get discounted pricing for the Annual Conference using the Marketplace promo code.
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IMPORTANT DEADLINES
April 24, 2024: Last day to use Marketplace Exhibitor promo code.
May 3, 2024: Sponsorship ad/artwork is due.
May 17, 2024: Hotel Cut-off
May 24, 2024: Registration closes
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INDUSTRY AND COMMONWEALTH NEWS | |
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Shapiro Administration Shares Resources for Visitors, Motorists Ahead of April 8 Solar Eclipse
In advance of the solar eclipse that will darken skies across all of Pennsylvania on April 8, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) are advising residents to plan ahead, especially those living in or traveling to the Northwest Region. Read more...
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New Report Reveals that Tourism Generates Over $76 Billion for Pennsylvania’s Economy and Supports 485,000 Jobs
A new report from the Pennsylvania Tourism Office shows the tourism industry in the Commonwealth generated $76.7 billion in economic impact, supported 486,871 jobs, contributed $4.7 billion in state and local taxes, and welcomed 192.4 million visitors in 2022. Read more...
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Philly Floats Plans for Another Intercity Bus Terminal
City officials are planning to relocate Philly’s intercity bus terminal yet again, with the goal of establishing a semi-permanent pickup spot and addressing complaints about the lack of indoor waiting space and other passenger amenities. Read more...
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Philadelphia Police Continue Piecing Together Bus Stop Shooting
Investigators in Philadelphia continue to piece together evidence surrounding a shooting at a SEPTA bus stop that injured eight high school students. Read more...
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DEP and PennDOT Encourage Everyone “Pick Up Pennsylvania” During Spring Litter Cleanup
The Pennsylvania Departments of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Transportation (PennDOT) encouraged residents, local leaders, businesses, and organizations to join in cleaning up their communities as part of the “Pick Up Pennsylvania" spring community improvement campaign, now through May 31. Read more...
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Long-Awaited Lehigh Valley Passenger Train Study Revealed
The long-awaited process to bring passenger rail back to the Lehigh Valley has left the station. If it ever reaches its final destination, the process will take at least a decade and need plenty of funding. Read more...
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CVSA Opens Nominations for 2024 International Driver Excellence Award
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) is now accepting nominations for its International Driver Excellence Award (IDEA), an annual award that recognizes an extraordinary professional commercial motor vehicle driver and their commitment to public safety. The deadline for nominations is Friday, May 10. Read more...
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Electrification of US Medium- and Heavy-Duty Commercial Fleets Requires Nearly $1 Trillion Infrastructure Investment
Full electrification of the US commercial truck fleet would require nearly $1 trillion in infrastructure investment alone, according to Forecasting a Realistic Electricity Infrastructure Buildout for Medium- & Heavy-Duty Battery Electric Vehicles, a new report from Roland Berger released by the Clean Freight Coalition. The study forecasts a realistic infrastructure buildout for the electrification of medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, exposing what the CFC calls a massive investment gap as state and federal policymakers mandate increased adoption rates of battery-electric commercial vehicles. Read the one-page takeaway and the final report.
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Congestion Pricing: Commuter Buses, City Vehicles Nab Exemption
Commuter buses and city vehicles are set to receive exemptions from the city’s congestion pricing program under a newly updated plan from the MTA following feedback from the public. Read more...
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Baltimore City Road Closures and Recommended Truck Routes Due to the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse
The Baltimore City Department of Transportation is actively evaluating the projected impact of the bridge collapse on City corridors, particularly their designated truck routes. Higher traffic volumes on City roads are anticipated, particularly along designated truck route corridors, and the Baltimore City Department of Transportation is actively working on plans to help mitigate the impact on local communities. Read more...
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Truck-to-Truck Worm Could Infect & Disrupt Entire US Commercial Fleet
Vulnerabilities in common Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) required in US commercial trucks could be present in over 14 million medium- and heavy-duty rigs. Read more...
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The Impact of the National Bus Driver Shortage on Passenger Safety
Buses are an intricate part of our transportation system. Every day they ferry millions of people to their destinations across the U.S. However, cities and towns are facing a critical shortage of bus drivers, impacting municipal transit systems and school transportation. The trend began about 10-15 years ago as older drivers began retiring without enough younger drivers to replace them. The gap widened even more when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Read more...
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NTA Rolls Out Route 66 Centennial Celebration
The National Tour Association is getting an early start on the Route 66 centennial celebration. Route 66, the famous highway known as The Mother Road, turns 100 years old in 2026, and starting this year, NTA is helping tour operators create itineraries for multiday tours along the eight-state thoroughfare that celebrate the heritage and highlights of the iconic roadway. Read more...
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Interested in Joining a PBA Committee?
PBA has seven active, volunteer-based committees in the areas of Executive, Annual Conference, Ethics. Legislative & Advocacy, Marketplace, Membership and Nominating.
Visit the Committee page where you can view each committee and members, contact Pattie Cowley to join!
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ICYMI
Alerts, Invitations, Press Releases, and more are sent out to our Members as needed. Here are the emails we sent out since last GoNews below.
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PBA maintains active Social Media Platforms. In addition to the emailed communications we send to you, we actively share information to our platforms. We encourage you to LIKE US, FOLLOW US and ENGAGE with us! #pabus | | | | |
