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Representatives with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA), as well as other state agencies and tourist destinations in the state, recently attended the American Bus Association’s Marketplace 2009, the premier annual business event for the group travel industry.
“What made this trip great was that we had a number of appointments with tour operators already set up, so we knew we would get a chance to expose these companies to some of the great agritourism attractions we have in the state,” said WVDA Marketing Specialist Cindy Martel.
Bus tours can also be a huge boon to fairs and festivals, according to Marlene Pierson-Jolliffe, Executive Director of the State Fair of West Virginia.
“This is the first time we’ve attended this event,” said Pierson-Jolliffe. “Our goal was to get in front of some serious bus companies that work within the region. Our message is that fairs and festivals are one of the best places for somebody to come and get a true agricultural experience while at the same time having a lot of fun.”
Pierson-Jolliffe added that she made 25-30 direct contacts with tour operators, many of whom she believes will result in business for the State Fair.
She noted that, although buses are a common sight in the fairground parking lot, the impact of bus tours has been inconsistent. Many bus tours seemed to be interested only in musical acts, and when economics started cutting into popular music tours, bus traffic decreased as well.
Pierson-Joliffe said the mid-August date of the fair is a positive factor.
“The operators need a good amount of lead time for them to put together their packages and promote them. It’s also important that August is the time of year that other attractions such as rafting and fishing are in full swing. The fair can be included as part of a larger package,” she said.
Martel noted that the tour bus industry is substantial in North American and is poised for even more growth.
“There are a lot of small and mid-size companies in the industry and they are always in great competition to offer the most attractive tours,” said Martel. “We really can influence their decision-making at these types of events.”
The American Bus Association website notes that the motorcoach industry in the United States and Canada consisted of just over 3,400 companies that operated 33,536 motor coaches. The industry provided about 750 million passenger trips in 2007, moving individual passengers a total of 65 billion miles.
With an average fuel efficiency of 5.7 miles to the gallon and with an average of 36 passengers per run, tour buses achieved over 200 passenger miles per gallon of fuel, making it the greenest way to travel.
Other West Virginia organizations participating in the show were the state Division of Tourism, the West Virginia Convention and Visitors' Bureau, the state’s scenic railroads and The Greenbrier.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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