Last week the .travel team packed their bags and hit the road once again to meet with fellow members of the travel and tourism industry. This time the team attended the United Motorcoach Association’s Exposition (UMA) in sunny Orlando, Florida. While the weather outside may have been chilly, .travel received a very warm reception from the entire motor coach industry. Here are just a couple things the .travel team took away from UMA:

It is a Motorcoach NOT a Bus

All the UMA exhibitors were eager to correct anyone that referred to their vehicle as a “bus”. They would say that buses are the big yellow things that used to take you to school every morning, and that they were in the business of selling luxury “motor coaches”. Motor coaches today come fully equipped with leather seats, WiFi Internet connection, flat screens, hardwood floors, skylights, and entertainment systems. Technological advancements have revolutionized land travel; now you can check your email, watch your favorite movie, and explore the country all from the comfort of your motorcoach seat.

The Way We Travel is Changing

With high gas prices and financial hardship, more people are choosing not to fly and instead use motor coaches as a more economic means of traveling. A one-way motorcoach ticket from Miami to Tallahassee, FL is about $100*; to fly costs twice as much! Travelers are also finding motor coaches to be a more pleasant experience than airline travel. Motor coaches eliminate the hassle of busy airports, security check points, and three-ounce bottled liquid limits. By not focusing on the quickest possible way to get from point A to point B, travelers get to see sides of the country they may never have seen otherwise.

The motor coach industry is a major presence in travel community. In fact, the United Motorcoach Association is a strategic partner of .travel. UMA believes strongly in .travel and the establishment of an Internet travel community. It was an honor for .travel to be represented at their 25^th annual exposition. To learn more about United Motorcoach Association please click here.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL-January 14, 2009- .travel participates at the United Motorcoach Association’s (UMA) Expo in Orlando, January 21-25. As an exhibitor, .travel will be amongst 180 other travel related companies such as the American Bus Association, National Tour Association and the Mississippi Division of Tourism. This year’s event will be held at the Orange County Convention Center and expects over 1,000 travel industry professionals.  The 4-day event will highlight educational seminars and training in fields such as Operations, Finance and Marketing Techniques.

“I am pleased to have .travel take part in our expo this year,” responded Victor Parra, President and CEO of the United Motorcoach Association. “.travel is a useful tool that all members of the travel and hospitality industry need to maximize their presence on the Internet”.

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