Adapting To An Ever-Changing Travel Market

Posted By ABA President & CEO Peter Pantuso, April 23, 2008

Ben Franklin once remarked, "When you're finished changing, you're finished." More than two centuries after he said those words, his statement is truer than ever.

Franklin probably never thought his fellow citizens would all be traveling so much in the future, let alone by any means other than horseback. But given the uncertain times in which we find ourselves, we'd all be wise to heed Franklin's maxim. Anyone in the travel business must adapt and change almost constantly. Those who fail to change - or believe they have finished changing - will indeed be finished. And it will likely be at the hands of the competition.

Why must we change for the better so consistently? Because the world is changing so quickly - and the customer demands from travelers are following right along.

While we can't plan for an economic slowdown that may or may not take place, inflation that may or may not rise, who will be sitting in the Oval Office in January 2009, or many other variables, we can take steps to ensure that we adapt to a new world of business and leisure travel. We must change for the better, because so many things over which we have little control are changing for the worse.

Many of the things perceived as changes for the worse in travel are simply growing pains -- literally. Our population topped 300 million Americans last year, and many modes of transportation are showing signs of long past being equipped to handle their intended capacities.

The bridge collapse in Minnesota last August was a tragic sign of the dangers of our aging infrastructure. Prior to that horrific event, most people viewed clogged highways as a time-consuming nuisance. Now we know they are in need of long-overdue repair.

The effects of climate change are being exhibited far more acutely and quickly than anyone ever expected. Coupled with uncertainty over rising fuel prices and an over-reliance on unstable foreign energy sources, that creates an obvious need to change our collective behavior as a nation.

I like to think the motorcoach industry is positioned almost perfectly to meet this changing travel landscape. Motorcoaches are the greenest mode of transportation, they mitigate congestion, and reduce the time and fuel wasted while stuck in traffic. And we all know they offer luxury transportation that's comfortable, convenient and affordable.

If only 1 percent of car vacationers, 1 percent of airplane vacationers, and 5 percent of train vacationers decided to go motorcoach, it would mean a 100 percent increase in demand for our industry's travel services. Our job is to convince people to try that change. And we'll never be finished changing for the better.