KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The National Tour Association and the United Motorcoach Association have established a partnership to collaborate on their annual conventions.

UMA will coordinate future motorcoach exhibits at the NTA Annual Convention, and the UMA Motorcoach Expo will feature the NTA Destination and Attractions Avenue.

In announcing the arrangement, the two associations acknowledge each other's expertise and focus in the travel marketplace, and said they will support each other's members from those positions.

"The motorcoach is an important component in the tour operator product," said outgoing NTA Chairman and CEO Randy Julian of Julian Tours. "UMA's expertise will further enhance NTA operators' knowledge of new motorcoach product that will assist them in product development at the NTA Convention and beyond."

"We are pleased and excited to formalize our relationship with NTA," added UMA Chairman Brian Scott of Escot Bus Lines. "The membership makeup of the two organizations are a natural fit, bringing together the best of the touring and motorcoach industries."

UMA Motorcoach Expo 2008, which will take place Jan. 1620 in San Francisco, will feature an aisle composed of NTA-member destinations and attractions that will have an opportunity to promote their products and services to UMA-member companies.

"NTA members represent the full gamut of destinations and packaged travel," noted UMA President and CEO Victor Parra. "We want NTA members' diverse product to be featured for our members at the UMA Expo to ensure UMA members are a part of the NTA tour operator product. This new partnership will profit not only members of NTA and UMA, but also the industry overall."

The UMA Motorcoach Exhibit will debut at the 2008 NTA Convention, Nov. 1519, in Pittsburgh.

"This strategic alliance between two leading industry organizations opens doors to new business opportunities and synergies," said NTA President Lisa Simon, CTP. "Members of both NTA and UMA will benefit from this progressive move."