Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The act authorizes a total of $175 million through 2009 for technical assistance and grants to
states and Indian tribes to develop scenic byways programs and to implement projects on highways of
outstanding scenic, historic, cultural, natural, recreational, and archaeological qualities designated as
National Scenic Byways, All-American Roads, America's Byways, state scenic, or Indian tribe scenic
byways. Additional spending authority totaling $13.5 million was provided to fund technical support
and educational activities provided by the America's Byways Resource Center. In October 2009, U.S.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced 42 new designations to the America
s Byways
collection, including five All-American Roads and 37 National Scenic Byways in 26 states. This
increases the number of America
'
'
s Byways to 151.
Rental Cars
An important aspect of automobile travel is the
industry, whose growth has been paralleling
or exceeding the growth in air travel. While there is no question about the rental car business having
heavy use by businesses, it also has substantial vacation use and frequent combination-trip use.
Air travel is critical to the car rental business as airport revenues account for much of overall car
rentals in the United States. Hertz is the airport market leader with about 25 percent of the airport
rental business.
According to Business Travel News (BTN) in its 2010 Business Travel Survey, the rental car industry
grosses around $25 billion. The major companies are Hertz, Enterprise, Avis, Budget, National, Alamo,
Dollar Thrifty. Table 5.4 shows them ranked by their 2009 total revenue.
Recent years have witnessed a vast change in the ownership of the major rental car companies as
consolidation has taken place. Enterprise now owns Alamo and National (and continues to operate
these two brands under the Enterprise umbrella), while Avis has acquired Budget to form the Avis
Budget group. It still operates the two brands as distinctive entities, with Avis targeting the premium
business and leisure customer and Budget targeting the value-conscious renter. Dollar Thrifty has been
courted by both Hertz and Avis Budget.
rental car
A customer-oriented transportation system requires that the interface between different modes of travel be
facilitated. Technology is increasingly used to ensure fast and convenient service. PhotocourtesyofBudget
Rent-A-CarCompany.
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