YoCo Twist Blog
YORK, PA - The American Bus Association (ABA) and the York County Convention & Visitors Bureau congratulate Patrick Bourque, Sales Manager at the York County CVB, for successfully completing the course requirements to earn his Certified Travel Industry Specialist (CTIS) designation.
All graduates were honored at a special ceremony recently during the 2016 American Bus Marketplace in Louisville, KY.
The Certified Travel Industry Specialist program is administered for ABA by Indiana University/Purdue University Indianapolis and is the first university-administered certification program in the group travel industry. The professional development program is available to any employee of an ABA-member organization. Participants completed five correspondence courses over the past year and attended and evaluated eight Industry Advancement Seminars presented at the American Bus Marketplace.
According to Peter J. Pantuso, CTIS, President and CEO, American Bus Association, the certification process is rigorous and demanding.
"These graduates are rightfully viewed by their peers as dedicated individuals who care about their profession," he said.
To date, more than 730 ABA members have earned the prestigious designation since the program's inception in 1989.
Bourque, a graduate of York College of Pennsylvania, has been with the York County CVB since 2013. He is responsible for sales within the motorcoach industry and ensuring that bus groups not only visit York County's many attractions, but also stay multiple nights.
"By taking the courses and becoming CTIS certified, Patrick has gone the extra mile to make sure he is doing his very best to maximize tourism in York County," said Anne Druck, President of the York County CVB. "The CTIS program helped Patrick learn more about how to sell the York County brand, how to work with customers in the motorcoach business on a daily basis and how to bridge the gap between our partners and our customers."
The American Bus Association is the trade organization of the intercity bus industry with more than 1100 motorcoach owner and tour company members in the United States and Canada. Its members operate charter, tour, regular route, airport express, special operations and contract services. Another 2,400 members are travel and tourism organizations and suppliers of bus products and services who work in partnership with the North American motorcoach industry.
The York County Convention & Visitors Bureau's Mission is to maximize tourism expenditures and their economic impact in York County, PA, through comprehensive tourism sales and marketing programs. The York County CVB's Vision is for a York County where tourism is recognized for the value of its economic impact and its role in raising the profile of York County as a sought-after destination. For more information on the York County Convention & Visitors Bureau, call 1-888-858-9675 or visit www.yorkpa.org.
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