ABA Disappointed By NTA Exaggerations

March 12, 2008

For Immediate Release
Contact: Eron Shosteck
Phone: 202-218-7220

WASHINGTON - American Bus Association President & CEO Peter J. Pantuso expressed profound disappointment in the National Tour Association (NTA) disinformation campaign attacking ABA's Marketplace, in which the NTA deliberately chose to misstate the number of buyer operators at Marketplace in Virginia Beach by 90 percent fewer than were actually at the premiere trade show in the group tour industry.

"I am deeply discouraged and perplexed by NTA's belief they need to falsify numbers in order to appear relevant to their membership," Pantuso said. "They sent out a blast email for their annual trade show in which they claimed ABA had 90 percent fewer buyer operators at Marketplace than were actually there. When the facts are purposely distorted so drastically, it's not a simple error - it's an attempt to mislead and dupe their own membership. I find it disappointing, especially at a time when the industry needs to unite on so many common issues."

The NTA email to its members read, "In just 5 days at NTA you can meet with up to 180 tour operators. That's compared to a maximum of 74 at Marketplace!" The actual number of buyer delegates (those that own motorcoaches, as well as those that don't) at Marketplace 2008 February 2-7 was 717, meaning NTA had to exclude entire categories of buyers attending Marketplace and purchasing tour & travel products just to malign ABA.

"I'd like to invite NTA to take advantage of the opportunity to correct the record, apologize for their negative attack, and pledge to join us in representing the motorcoach, tour and travel community members by being positive," Pantuso added.

Final statistics for Marketplace 2008 are as follows: Total delegate count 3302; total buyers delegates (including all operators) 717; total DMO delegates 713; total lodging delegates 657; total attractions/LRO delegates 864; total associates delegates 238.

The American Bus Association is the trade organization of the intercity bus industry with more than 1000 motorcoach owner and tour company members in the United States and Canada. Its members operate charter, tour, regular route, airport express, special operations and contract services. Another 2,600 members are travel and tourism organizations and suppliers of bus products and services who work in partnership with the North American motorcoach industry.