The American Bus Association (ABA) is a

trade association A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific Industry (economics), industry. An industry tra ...

for motorcoach operators and tour companies in the United States and Canada. Its membership consists of about 1,000 companies that operate

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...

es or bus-based tours, about 2,800 organizations representing the travel and tourism industry, and several hundred suppliers of buses and related products and services. Its headquarters is in

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The organization was founded in 1926 as the Motor Bus Division of the

American Automobile Association American Automobile Association (AAA – commonly pronounced as "Triple A") is a federation of motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a privately held not-for-profit national member association and service organization with over 60 m ...

. It was reorganized in 1930 as the National Association of Motor Bus Operators, and in 1960 changed its name to National Association of Motor Bus Owners. It adopted its present name in 1977.

Members

The organization has four types of members: Motorcoach Operators - Companies that own motorcoaches and provide privately contracted services such as charters, tours, sightseeing, scheduled service, airport express service, school bus service, and/or local receptive operations. (The membership does not include

public transport bus service Public transport bus services are generally based on regular operation of transit buses along a route calling at agreed bus stops according to a published public transport timetable. History of buses Origins While there are indications ...

s.) Tour Operators - Companies that organize tours without owning equipment. They offer packaged travel by arranging transportation for hotels, attractions and other travel suppliers. Their tours are primarily to locations away from the company's hometown. Travel Industry Members - Tourism-related companies and organizations that work in partnership with the North American motorcoach industry. They include travel and tourism companies,

convention and visitor bureau A destination marketing organization (DMO) is an Organization, organisation which promotes a location as an attractive travel destination. DMOs are known as tourist boards, tourism authorities or "Convention and Visitors Bureaux". They primarily ex ...

destination marketing organization A destination marketing organization (DMO) is an organisation which promotes a location as an attractive travel destination. DMOs are known as tourist boards, tourism authorities or "Convention and Visitors Bureaux". They primarily exist to provide ...

s, accommodations,

attractions Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism m ...

, food service organizations, and tourism service professionals such as receptive operators who specialize in tour planning for a local area. Associate Members - Manufacturers and suppliers of buses and bus-related products and services.

Mission statement

Major activities

For its members, the ABA provides networking and business development opportunities, government advocacy, and information about its industry. It works to connect members in several segments of the motorcoach, tour and travel community. For the traveling public, it works to assure safe, pleasant, and economical experiences when traveling by bus. Its specific activities include: ABA Annual Meeting & Marketplace. Holds this annual convention, which is a major event for the group travel industry. It is held in a different city each year, with a typical attendance of about 3,000 people. The meeting presents an annual opportunity for members of the group travel and motorcoach industry to build business relationships, view new products and services, learn about the latest industry trends, and develop personal networks. The Marketplace features a highly organized series of opportunities for attendees to meet face-to-face in prescheduled seven-minute appointments. Other Marketplace events include professional education seminars, exhibits provided by suppliers, and familiarization tours of attractions in the host city. Bus Industry Safety Council. The mission of the Bus Industry Safety Council is to continually raise the level of safety in the intercity bus and motorcoach industry through collaborative efforts of professionals in a workshop and educational environment. Bus Maintenance & Repair Council. The Bus Maintenance and Repair Council (BusMARC) addresses the need for continuing maintenance education and compliance training as well as provide a new venue for equipment, parts and service providers to interact with the bus industry. Entertainer Motorcoach Council. The mission and purpose of the Entertainer Motorcoach Council is to inspire a level of confidence in the safety, reliability, and quality of service for the operations of entertainer coaches employed on a charter or lease basis; actively promote the high quality services of EMC members; and more. Hispanic Motorcoach Council. The Hispanic Motorcoach Council endeavors to promote the continued growth, fellowship and development of the Hispanic business community in the motorcoach industry. It will do this by serving as a resource center and forum to promote safe motorcoach operations, encourage interaction among operators and transportation planners, and advocate for Hispanic and minority-owned businesses. Women in Buses Council. Women in Buses Council is to recognize and advance the role of women in the motorcoach industry through networking, education and mentoring programs. Publications. Publishes ''Destinations'' magazine, an important glossy magazine in the tour and travel industry, which includes the annual Best of the Best issue, and ''The Insider'', a biweekly newsletter for members and others. Compiles and distributes ''The ABA Motorcoach Marketer'', an annual member directory and travel guide. Publishes ''Marketplace Today'', which is the official publication of ABA's Annual Meeting & Marketplace. Continuing education. Sponsors the ''Certified Travel Industry Specialist (CTIS)'' program, providing motorcoach and group travel professionals with industry-specific education and credentialing. The education is provided through correspondence courses at

Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th st ...

and attendance at specialized ABA educational seminars. Conducts

webinar Web conferencing is used as an umbrella term for various types of online conferencing and collaborative services including webinars (web seminars), webcasts, and web meetings. Sometimes it may be used also in the more narrow sense of the peer-le ...

s online, and educational talks and

seminar A seminar is a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some parti ...

s at its annual Marketplace event. Awards. Sponsors a ''Lifetime Achievement Award'' for individuals who have made major contributions to the motorcoach, tourism, and hospitality industry, and a ''Kaleidoscope Award'' for individuals or organizations that have directly impacted the advancement of diversity within the industry. Code of Ethics. Sponsors a

code of ethics Ethical codes are adopted by organizations to assist members in understanding the difference between right and wrong and in applying that understanding to their decisions. An ethical code generally implies documents at three levels: codes of bus ...

for its members. The code was adopted to promote and maintain high standards of business and personal conduct. Its ten points cover general business integrity and several specific items of financial behavior. Government Affairs. Represents the industry before elected officials and regulatory bodies. Monitors pertinent legislative and regulatory activity, and keeps members informed of developments in these areas. These activities have helped in securing

Americans with Disabilities Act The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ...

grants to assist coach operators in equipping coaches with wheelchair lifts, and

Transportation Security Administration The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has authority over the security of transportation systems within, and connecting to the United States. It was created ...

funds in support of industry efforts to improve security measures for drivers and passengers.

Affiliated organizations

The ABA sponsors the ABA Foundation, which funds research, scholarships, and internships related to its mission. It supports BUSPAC, a political action committee that works to advance the interests of the industry and the traveling public. The ABA maintains strategic partnerships with about 20 other industry organizations and a similar number of state and provincial bus associations.

References

External links