Passenger Transportation - Tourism: Principles, Practices, Philosophies - page 115

would have a dif cult time getting from place to place if these services were not available. Streetcars,
trolleys, inclines, and aerial trams serve as a form of taxi service and are of a special interest to visitors
in scenic tourist destination areas as a form of recreation and sightseeing.
The Taxicab, Limousine, and Paratransit Association (TLPA) in Kensington, Maryland, is the major
taxicab association. TLPA has 1,100 members who are fleet owners operating thousands of passenger
vehicles, including taxicabs, limousines, liveries, vans, airport shuttle fleets, and minibuses. The
association sponsors an annual convention and trade show, is involved with political action, and
publishes Transportation Leader quarterly.
The National Limousine Association, located in Marlton, New Jersey, was founded in 1985, has
2,000 members, and is made up of limousine owners and operators and limousine manufacturers and
suppliers to the industry. It seeks to promote and advance industry professionalism, the common
interests of members, and the use of limousines. It monitors legislation; sponsors seminars on safety,
regulatory issues, and management; compiles statistics; and offers insurance plans.

Oil Companies

Oil companies the world over have a very important stake in automobile tourism and, thus, are

organized in many ways to serve the wants and needs of travelers. In the United States, many of the
major oil companies publish road maps as a touring service. Some companies have organized motor
clubs, such as the Amoco Motor Club, which provides travel information and routing services for its
members, among other services.

Automobile Clubs and Organizations

The American Automobile Association (AAA) is the world's largest single-membership travel group,
with a membership of over 50 million people in the United States and Canada. This organization
promotes travel in several different forms among its members, including auto travel as a primary form
of transportation. It also operates worldwide travel services similar to those provided by a travel
agency or tour company. The AAA Travel Agency also provides travel services for nonmembers and is,
thus, competitive with other tour companies and retail travel agencies. This additional service gives the
club a certain glamour and status in the community, and nonmembers who are brought into the club
of ce through the travel service become prospective new members in the automobile club.
AAA provides emergency road service to members. It also provides insurance protection to
motorists through its various state and city af liate organizations (such as AAA Michigan), publishes
travel maps and tour topics, and has a national touring board as well as a national touring bureau staff.
The principal function of the tour topics is to describe the history, attractions, points of interest, and
accommodations in hotels, resorts, and motels, and restaurants that have been inspected and
approved by AAA field representatives. All accommodations listed have been selected on the basis of a
satisfactory report submitted by the AAA field representative.
An organization of wider geographic membership is the World Touring and Automobile Organi-
zation, with headquarters in London, England. Other organizations of a similar nature are the
International Road Federation of Washington, D.C.; the Pan American Highway Congress, Washington,
D.C.; Inter-American Federation of Touring and Automobile Clubs, Buenos Aires; and the International
Automobile Federation, with headquarters in Paris.

THE CRUISE INDUSTRY

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) states that cruising is currently the fastest-growing
segment of the travel industry. It is experiencing a surge of growth in passengers, ships, and ship