The coach and bus industry has used English Tourism Week (15-22 March) to underline its role in supporting England’s visitor economy, with industry bodies and operators pointing to strong passenger demand, sustainability credentials and the importance of supportive policy.
The campaign aims to highlight to stakeholders the contribution that English tourism makes to the UK economy, kickstart the spring and summer season, and nurture engagement between business and MPs and the media to bring attention to the contribution tourism makes in their region. It also aims to increase awareness of the English tourism offer while encouraging travel.
Across statements from the Coach Tourism Association (CTA), RHA and the Oxford Bus Company, the message is that group travel by coach and bus is a cornerstone of domestic tourism and regional economic activity.
CTA says coach tourism continues to deliver significant value with over a million passengers travelling on trips and tours each year.
“Coach operators, and the attractions, destinations, hotels, and services that back them, generate significant revenue for the English tourism economy, as well as across the UK,” says Robert Shaw, CTA Chair. “Crucially, as coach tour companies operate year-round, customers arriving by coach are a lifeblood during the typical close seasons, which is particularly important revenue for classic tourism destinations such as seaside towns. This is also vital to support core tourism employment.”
CTA has also used the campaign to reiterate coach travel’s environmental credentials, while helping to ease congestion and parking pressures.
“The environmental advantage of coach travel is not only the overall reduction in emissions compared to travel by car, but also lower kerbside emissions for attractions and destinations,” adds Mr Shaw. “One coach takes the road space of four cars but can carry as many passengers as 20 cars. As a result, coaches can play a key role in reducing congestion and demand on a village or town’s costly parking allocation, making it much easier for destinations to achieve the volume of tourists with significantly lower impact on their infrastructure.”
RHA meanwhile has emphasises the breadth of the coach sector’s contribution, from large tour operators to family-run businesses, in connecting visitors with destinations that might otherwise struggle to attract footfall. It also links the sector’s success to wider policy priorities including infrastructure, workforce and cost pressures.
The trade association says it will be highlighting its coach operator members throughout the campaign. Operators already highlighted note the importance of tourism to the economy, while noting the challenges of rising costs for the coach sector.
Chris Plummer, Product General Manager at Leger Holidays, says that “it is important the sector continues to be recognised and supported — particularly when tour operators are navigating rising costs and a challenging economic environment.”
Jason Edwards, founder of Jason Edwards Coach Travel, adds: “Tourism supports thousands of jobs and businesses, but when costs rise or the sector faces unnecessary barriers, tourism and travel are often among the first to feel the impact. That’s why it’s so important the coach sector continues to be recognised and supported.”
At the bus operator level, Oxford Bus Company has reiterated tangible evidence of how public transport initiatives can boost visitor access, with the introduction of free park-and-ride travel supporting strong footfall in the city and driving passenger growth across its network.
Luke Marion, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company, says: “The visitor economy is vital for the overall economic wellbeing of Oxford, and providing sustainable and accessible public transport is key to encouraging people to visit. Free travel via the park-and-ride network is making it easier for visitors to access and get around the city than before. By intercepting journeys at the park-and-ride sites, we are reducing traffic on the roads. English Tourism Week is an important campaign which helps highlight the excellent range of attractions we have, and the wider benefits tourism brings to the city.”
