A continuing need to highlight the benefits of the coach tourism industry to local visitor economies across the UK was one of the key messages coming out of the Coach tourism – access all areas Masterclass Theatre seminar at Euro Bus Expo.
Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) Coaching Manager Phil Smith highlights examples around the country where communities are trying to restrict tourism, including in Bourton-on-the-Water and in Matlock Bath.
He notes that in some quarters there is an erroneous view that visitors arriving by coach don’t spend money. However, he reminded the audience that an increasing number of destinations proactively want to engage with CPT to improve their coach friendly offer.
Mr Smith cites Windsor as one location where the partnership approach has delivered increased benefits for coach drivers using the town’s coach park.
“The Coach Friendly scheme is one way for CPT to demonstrate what a destination can do to benefit from coach tourism,” he says. “A further eight Coach Friendly destinations are likely during 2025.”
Mark Smith, Trade and Group Sales Manager with Continuum Attractions – a business responsible for operating many of the country’s most popular visitor attractions, including the Coronation Street Experience, Emmerdale Village Tour, and Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower – says that many hotels and attractions had lost some good people, and their knowledge, in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s important that coach operators and attractions communicate with each other, before, during and after a visit,” he says. “This is especially important when it comes to drop-off, parking and pick-up points.”
Samantha Bradbury, Membership Director, Bonded Coach Holidays and ABTOT, brought delegates up to speed on the forthcoming implementation of the EU Schengen area Entry and Exit System (EES). She points out that the scheme has been delayed because not every EU country has the necessary infrastructure in place to handle the new requirements.
“There’s no fixed date for EES to start, although it seems likely it will be later in 2025,” she says. “In the meantime, the possibility of introducing mobile on-coach scanning at ports to avoid the need for passengers to get off the vehicle is being explored.”
She indicates that the new European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) that will require most non-EU residents to have a US-style visa to enter the EU will likely follow six months after the introduction of EES.
