By: ABA Media
The Insider recently posed the following industry question to several ABA member motorcoach operators: Many economists believe the economy is booming. Do you agree? If so, how is your company adjusting?
Here is what our members had to say:
“The travel and tourism industry is extremely large and diverse, and so I suspect some segments are doing better than others. That is certainly the case at Jefferson Lines, and so we are approaching each segment differently based upon how it is performing and allocating more resources to those growth areas. The expanding economy is definitely putting pressure on personnel, fuel, and borrowing costs, and we are attempting to price our services accordingly.”
—Steve Woelfel, President
Jefferson Lines
Minneapolis, Minn.
“Yes, I do agree. These are ‘yabba dabba doo’ days! Everyone is working, everyone has jobs, and everyone can afford to buy what we sell. It’s the best of times—a dabba doo time—and we are planning continued growth, new initiatives, and events. This is no time to sit complacently in front of the TV with Wilma.”
—Bob Cline, President
U.S. Tours
Vienna, W.V.
“The economy may be booming, but it is due to short-term policies that are unsustainable. For this reason, we will not be adding any additional motorcoaches to our fleet. We will continue to refurbish our reliable MCI 102DL3 motorcoaches, focus on company structure/operations, and increase our employee benefits.”
—Michael Faulkner, President
Cape Fear Coach Lines
Wilmington, N.C.