Nomination for White House Champion Program

BusRates.com Receives Nomination for White House Champion Program

Alexandria, VA – March 28, 2013 – The online group travel directory BusRates.com was nominated for The White House Champions of Change program for the “Transportation Technology Solutions for the 21^st Century” event on May 8, 2013.

The U.S. Department of Transportation and the White House Office of Public Engagement will host the event to focus on organizations with proven leadership in implementing technology solutions to enhance performance, reduce congestion, improve safety, and facilitate communication across the transportation industry.

General Manager of BusRates.com, Eric Elliott, says, “We are grateful for the nomination… over 1.2 million groups use BusRates.com each year to orchestrate their group travel. It’s a measurable impact that we have on the transportation industry.”

In addition to facilitating direct contact between group planners and operators, BusRates.com is also partnered with the National Tour Association to position group-friendly hotels, attractions and restaurants alongside charter operators. The BusRates.com online database allows planners to build complex itineraries with the ease of point-and-click.

Safety is of utmost importance within the group travel industry, and BusRates.com works closely with federal safety information regarding operator compliancy and authority in order to prevent unsafe operators from gaining exposure to potential charter groups. The directory provides accessible records for every operator per the FMCSA and USDOT.

“In addition to operators and travel suppliers, we also publish consumer-advocate articles to help first-time planners,” Elliott says. Nearly 75% of visitors to BusRates.com are first-time users, many curious about the advantages of group travel by bus. “Inbound traffic to our directory continues to grow. The charter industry is alive and well.”

BusRates.com is a dedicated partner with its charter members. A weekly blog is published exclusively for operators which shares strategies in marketing, technology, and sales. The blog has proven to be a critical success with operators providing testimonies and praise for the honest, transparent content designed to help charter businesses.

The BusRates.com directory continues to be a leader in online technology with an upcoming app designed to increase its user base and provide geo-targeted accessibility from any mobile phone. The tool will prove invaluable for planners and operators, providing all of the directory’s exhaustive information in a clean, portable format.

“Each group that discovers the convenience of motor coach travel means lessened congestion on the roadways…it means greener energy with a smaller carbon footprint, and it saves lives with a safer form of transportation.”

About BusRates.com

BusRates.com was launched in 2005. It was developed as a dual resource for the bus charter industry by providing free comprehensive and easy-to-use charter information for consumers and group travel planners, and as an economical venue for bus owners to promote their many services. The site draws over 100,000 group travel planner visits each month, and reaches the international market with more than 130,000 group travel planners from outside the U.S. visiting the site annually. On June 10, 2011, BusRates expanded its directory with listings for hotels, restaurants, attractions, events and all other group activities to create an all-encompassing experience for group travel planners.

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