The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) is creating a new Coach Pilot Scheme to promote coach-friendly tourism to the Newcastle Christmas Market this year.
In partnership with Newcastle NE1 BID and Destination North East, the pilot on 15-16 November and 6-7 December 2025 will include a reserved central drop-off and pick-up just two minutes’ walk from the main shopping area and up to 12 hours of secure parking with on-site staff.
The market will also provide welcome packs which include vouchers for drivers and exclusive discounts for passengers.
Newcastle Christmas Market, which is organised by Newcastle City Council and NE1, attracts more than 1.7 million visitors per year and CPT hopes this pilot will promote the city as a year-round coach-friendly destination.
Phil Smith, CPT Coach Manager, says: “We’re delighted to get this pilot scheme off the ground. Newcastle is a fantastic city, and we want to make it even more accessible for people to visit.
“We’ll be monitoring the success of this pilot and using it to feed into our future plans to help strengthen the city’s reputation as a must-visit location for coach-led tourism.”
