Group Tour Magazine - May 2023 - 10

NEWS & NOTES
According to MGH, more
than 50 million people have
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Longtime Leader
Retiring
The American Bus Association (ABA),
the leading industry association
representing the bus, motorcoach,
tour, and packaged travel industry,
recently announced its longtime
leader, Peter J. Pantuso, will retire in
September 2024. Pantuso joined ABA
in 1996 and has served as president
and CEO since that time. During his
tenure, ABA's membership nearly
tripled in size, and its annual convention,
ABA's Marketplace, grew to be
the leading domestic packaged travel
event in the industry.
" It's hard to imagine anyone else
leading ABA, " says Gene Berardi,
ABA's chairman of the board. " The
professionalism, expansion, creativity,
and steadfast dedication
that Pete brings to ABA and to the
entire industry is second to none.
He guided the association through
tough times, including the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks, a recession, and
the COVID-19 pandemic, providing
outstanding direction and guidance
to the entire industry and to
individual members. "
ABA's leadership will take time
to select its next leader to ensure
that individual can carry on and
enhance the association. Over the
next year, a board-level committee
will be appointed to interview
and hire a search firm, which will
assist the association in finding a
new president and CEO. " I am honored
and grateful to have been given
the opportunity to serve ABA and
its members, " Pantuso says. " It has
been the members' support, and
their trust and belief in me and our
staff that has allowed the association
to grow and become the leading
organization it is today. "
buses.org
traveled to a new destination
after seeing it on TikTok.
TikTok Travel Inspiration
MGH, a full-service marketing communications
agency that specializes in
tourism marketing and more, recently
released the results of a national survey
of United States' TikTok users that
explores how the social media platform
drives tourism discovery and action.
The survey shows that TikTok-with its
150 million U.S. users-has a major
impact on the travel and tourism
industry, as 60% of surveyed users have
become interested in visiting a new destination
(city, beach, park, etc.) after
seeing a TikTok video about it.
The survey demonstrates that TikTok
isn't just driving interest, it's driving
users' actions as well: 35% of U.S. TikTok
users-or about 52.5 million people-
have traveled to visit a new destination
after seeing it on the app. While users
spanning all generations are inspired by
TikTok to visit new places, the millennial
generation is particularly influenced
by the social media platform when it
comes to their travel plans, as 45% of
U.S. TikTok millennials surveyed have
traveled to a new destination they saw on
the social platform.
The survey also reveals that in addition
to inspiring users to visit new destinations,
TikTok motivates them to visit
specific resorts/hotels or attractions
they've seen on the platform: 32% of
those surveyed have booked a stay at a
new resort or hotel they saw on TikTok,
and 28% have visited an attraction they
saw on the social platform.
mghus.com
10 MAY 2023
PHOTO PRISCILLA DU PREEZ/UNSPLASH
http://www.buses.org http://www.mghus.com
Group Tour Magazine - May 2023

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