- Details
- Category: Industry News
Two California companies are joining forces: Charter motorcoach operator Coach21 has announced they are officially joining the Urban Worldwide family. While their name and logo will be refreshed, the company says their unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional service remains steadfast. The new branding will symbolize the Urban Worldwide name, reflecting their core values of reliability, modernity, and excellence.
Founded in 1997 in the San Francisco Bay Area, Coach21 has established itself as a preferred charter company, boasting a vast fleet of state-of-the-art motorcoaches. Under the leadership of Bob Fioritto, who has owned the company since 2017, Coach21 has continued to work to set the standard for quality service in the transportation industry. Fioritto will continue to manage operations through this rebranding process, focusing on regrowing the brand in the wake of the devastating pandemic.
Urban Worldwide CEO David Uziel
“After many years of my relationship with Bob, it was a no brainer to merge Coach21 into the Urban Worldwide family to help expand our footprint,” says Urban Worldwide CEO David Uziel. “Bob’s experience in the charter world was going to give me the teaching I need to feel confident about that side of our business.”
By integrating Coach21 into the Urban Worldwide family, the company says they will enhance their capabilities and expand their reach, ensuring that they can meet clients’ transportation needs more effectively than ever.
Through the transition, Coach21 says that customers will continue to work with the same dedicated team. Additionally, clients will benefit from the enhanced support and resources of Urban Worldwide, which will enable them to provide even greater capabilities and improved service.
In the coming months, the public can expect the new branding across Coach21 vehicles and communications.
Visit coach21.com or urbanworldwide.com for more information.
[10.28.24]
- Details
- Category: Industry News
Business has increased for a majority of tour operators, but the challenges they face in building multiday itineraries have led them to change the price, timing, components, and even the existence of some tours they offer, according to a new report from the National Tour Association (NTA).
In a survey conducted in September by the association, 58 percent said their company will finish the year with sales that are better or much better than 2023, while only 17 percent said their sales dropped this year.
Looking ahead to 2025, more than half of NTA buyers (54 percent) said their company is poised to perform better than in 2024—with 14 percent of them saying much better—and 39 percent expect to see a similar amount of business.
Asked to assess the significance of challenges they face with four types of tour suppliers, operators rated hotels as most challenging, followed only slightly by their concerns about restaurants, motorcoaches, and air travel. Operators cited higher rates as the most serious factor they face, followed closely by unfavorable terms. Other factors included staffing shortages among suppliers and concerns about the overall economy.
Comparing rates for 2025 to those they’ve seen this year, tour operators report double-digit price increases for each of the four categories of suppliers: hotels, restaurants, motorcoaches, and air travel.
“This is why pricing is the number one challenge for operators,” said NTA President Catherine Prather. “Before COVID, a normal year-over-year increase for supplier rates was 5 percent, and now, four years past COVID, tour operators are experiencing rate increases more than double that figure, and, in some categories, even close to tripling it.”
Additional report highlights:
• Nearly two-thirds of responding operators (65 percent) said that high rates, unfavorable terms, or both have led them to change suppliers in a destination.
• Almost half (47 percent) have changed to a different destination that provides a similar experience.
• And more than four out of every 10 operators (44 percent) said they have dropped a tour altogether because of suppliers’ rates and/or terms.
These issues will be addressed at NTA’s Travel Exchange event in Huntsville, Alabama, this November 17-20. More information can be found at ntatravelexchange.com.
“We’ll also provide an even better way to deal with these issues: In November, hundreds of buyer and seller members will come together at Travel Exchange,” Prather said. “They’ll have meaningful, face-to-face conversations in scheduled business appointments as well as organic conversations over a meal or a during a networking event. Understanding what your partners are facing and finding solutions are best done in person.”
Visit ntaonline.com for more information and the full report.
[10.22.24]
- Details
- Category: Industry News
With on-point education and speakers, an action-packed show floor, and some high-stakes nightlife, we’ve put the wraps on the 2024 CD/NLA Show, held October 13-16 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center just outside of D.C. Many thanks to all our attendees, exhibitors, speakers, moderators, mentors, committee members, and sponsors—including Title Sponsor Volvo—for making the show such an unbelievable event for everyone!
Check Out The CD/NLA 2024 Fall Show Photos ... Click Here.
Nearly 1,200 industry professionals from around the globe joined us in National Harbor, which not only gave attendees the opportunity to catch up with many of our long-standing industry friends and peers in person, but to also meet new operators—which we had in spades!
With on-point education and speakers, an action-packed show floor, and some high-stakes nightlife, we’ve put the wraps on the 2024 CD/NLA Show, held October 13-16 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center just outside of D.C. Many thanks to all our attendees, exhibitors, speakers, moderators, mentors, committee members, and sponsors—including Title Sponsor Volvo—for making the show such an unbelievable event for everyone!
Nearly 1,200 industry professionals from around the globe joined us in National Harbor, which not only gave attendees the opportunity to catch up with many of our long-standing industry friends and peers in person, but to also meet new operators—which we had in spades!
“Another fantastic show from the CD/NLA team. I’m not sure how you guys keep topping the previous show. Makes the 3,000-mile trip from Ireland worth it,” says Myles Flood of LFL Chauffeur Services.
Our stellar (and incredibly hard-working) CD/NLA Show Education Committee—led by co-chairs Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide and Karl Guenther of Statement Limousine—put together a curriculum that was loaded with timely and valuable sessions that proved to be beneficial to operators of all sizes and markets. Whether it was learning to safeguard against cyberattacks, harnessing the strengths of a multigenerational workforce, mastering affiliate work, tips and strategies for retail trips, understanding the insurance market, tapping into the personalities of your staff for a more productive team, exploring the fundamentals and benefits of AI, taking part in our numerous conversation-stirring roundtables, or even learning directly from the education committee about what goes on behind the scenes of the show, the classrooms in National Harbor were loaded with immediate takeaway designed to improve your operation and stimulate out-of-the-box thinking. The infusion of wisdom from experienced operators alongside new ideas from industry newbies led to some interesting and thought-provoking dialogue. Also, thanks to Coffee Sponsor Buffalo Limousine and A/V Sponsor Limo Anywhere for making it all possible.
“Fantastic to see the industry back in such force with so many people eager to learn and share experiences for best practices for business excellence,” says Jeff Shanker of Black Tie Transportation and Bus Charters.
We also brought back a perennial favorite—our Operator Mentoring Program—which shows no signs of slowing down. This year, we reduced the number of participants at the tables and bolstered our number of mentors for an even more intimate experience and sharing of knowledge across the generations.
“Being a first-time attendee was an amazing experience. I had the opportunity to learn new things, some of which I hadn’t even considered before. The show provided a great platform for building valuable relationships, fostering friendships, and forming strong partnerships. It was truly a rewarding experience,” says Petre-Bogdan Pistolea of Chauffeurs-ADHOC London.
But, as always, networking was the name of the game, as opportunities to converse and learn among peers were in abundance. Dedicated events like our bustling Affiliate Central Global Partner Forum (sponsored by Volvo), our riveting panel discussion during the State of the Industry, and always-popular Women in the Industry Networking Event were all met with raves from our attendees. Moreover, a revamped Association Summit dealt specifically with the very real insurance crisis faced by operators around the country (which was big news addressed in numerous events), with a panel of experts weighing in—and, more importantly, offering effective strategies and solutions. With this lineup, and ample opportunities for some face-to-face time during breakfast or at the Gaylord’s bars and restaurants, CD/NLA Show veterans and newcomers alike made some fresh connections.
“The CD/NLA Show was a remarkable accomplishment, offering abundant opportunities to reconnect with industry professionals, esteemed mentors, and personal friends, culminating in a memorable after-party and exceptional show experience,” writes Deep Singh of Got Luxury Ride.
“My experience during the Operator Mentor Program was phenomenal. They gave me the targeted advice that I needed in order to scale up my chauffeur service to the next level. Thank you!” says Tamara Fitzgerald of AET Transportation.
The networking and camaraderie continued into sundown as our rocking nightlife raised the roof. On Sunday evening, attendees were welcomed onto the show floor for our Opening Night Soiree that not only offered previews of the vehicles, products, and services available at the convention, but also some fun courtesy of magicians, stilt walkers, and even contortionists! The heavy show-floor traffic continued through Tuesday, as operators and vendors alike lingered past exhibit hours. The following night, we got a slice of Vegas in National Harbor as we hosted our first-ever Casino Night party, which, considering the tremendous feedback, might just be a new favorite! Attendees sat down at their chosen game of chance as they gambled with fun money to earn raffle tickets good for some valuable prizes, including passes to CD/NLA events.
“This year’s Fall Show was very well attended and brought in many of the leaders of the industry. The location and the quality of the venue were fantastic,” says Steve Edelmann of Royale/Cabot Coach Builders.
“What an amazing show. I met so many new people at the roundtable events. The Casino Night was a blast. You guys hit a home run yet AGAIN! See you all in Vegas,” says Becky Laramee of All Points Limousine.
“Congratulations on another great show and doing your best to keep the industry together,” says Robert Rodriguez of First Class Destination Solutions.
If you missed this fall’s CD/NLA Show in National Harbor, have no fear. Things are already revving up for the return of the CD/NLA Show in Las Vegas! Join us February 23-26 at the spectacular Paris Hotel & Casino for four days of world-class education and networking, and stay tuned to cdnlavegas.com for upcoming details. [CD1124]