Locals Reach Out to Bus Tour Market
Star Herald
Jerry Purvis
Feb. 28, 2019
Karla Niedan-Streeks with the Gering Visitors Bureau was on the road recently to showcase the area’s scenic beauty and history.
The American Bus Association stages its annual marketplace at sites around the country, and the 2019 edition was in Louisville, Kentucky.
“The event brings together about 3,500 motor coach tour operators from across North America with tourism industry professionals,” Niedan-Streeks said. “It fosters conversations for operators to determine what might work for their future tour itineraries.”
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Although this was Gering’s first trip to the American Bus Association Marketplace, there was lots of buzz about the local area because the 2020 Marketplace will be in Omaha.
“A lot of operators have never been to Nebraska and they were talking about adding a trip in the future,” Niedan-Streeks said. “They were looking forward to seeing what we offer.”
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Niedan-Streeks represented Gering in 2018 at the smaller Tourism Alliance Partnership Marketplace. But this year’s American Bus Association Marketplace is Gering’s first major push into the motor coach tourism industry.
“We’re dedicated to building our marketing plan for long-term results,” she said. “An average motor coach tour group will spend $10,000 a day in a community. It’s a very lucrative group market for us and we have a lot to offer them. I think it will be a great investment over time.”