For coach operators, 2018’s holiday season is just round the corner. Bookings at one started on Sunday, and it is seeing signs that next year may be one of the strongest that it has seen for some time
The all-important booking period for 2018’s holidays is already here, and Staffordshire operator Leons Coaches anticipates a strong season after an excellent turnout for its programme launch in the county town on Sunday (5 November).
Such was the interest from over 220 clients that parking was at a premium, and visitors were able to meet drivers and managers and view some of Leons’ coaches, including two flagship Neoplan Starliners. Hotels and other attractions were also represented.
Director Robert Douglas says that although 2017 has not been the easiest year for coach holidays thanks to uncertainty surrounding Sterling, Sunday’s attendance gives heart for the coming season.
Many of Leons’ tours are already booking well. Planned trips to Roses on Spain’s Costa Brava are particularly popular, as are holidays to England’s south coast. But each year is not a repeat of the previous programme, and Leons constantly adapts its offering to suit demand.
“Tours to London in 2017 have been less popular than usual thanks to various reasons, but we have seen strong interest already in those planned for 2018,” says Robert.
“At one point on Sunday we had a queue of people waiting to book holidays. While it’s only a small rise, I believe that last week’s interest rate increase has driven customers’ willingness to spend. Of course, the weather plays a part in how many people attend, but this event has been the busiest since we held the first one in 2012, and that leaves us looking positively at 2018.”
Platinum class
Leons’ holiday programme is split between standard breaks and those marketed as Platinum. The latter typically use four-star hotels, although they are not extravagantly priced.
Besides UK and Irish holidays, continental tours continue to be prominent. Alongside Spain, 2018 will see coaches travel as far as Austria and Italy; the operator reports that while low-cost airlines have hit European tours to a degree, demand still exists.
Besides promoting its programme via a mailing list, the internet and its holiday show, Leons’ coaches act as strong ambassadors for the brand. Of a total of 44 in its fleet and that of associated operator Happy Days, around 14 are dedicated to touring.
Oldest are two Neoplan Starliners from 2014. Ordinarily, tour coaches are replaced at three years, but Robert explains that the Starliners are being retained for a further season for one reason; in his opinion, no manufacturer has yet produced a suitable replacement.
Van Hool and VDL account for the remainder of the fleet, but Leons is set to welcome two Yutong TC9s for touring in 2018.
It took its first TC9 in 2015 and the midicoach has performed well. Additionally, Robert says that the long-awaited super-high Yutong recently displayed in left-hand drive form at Busworld is likely to be of significant interest for 2019.
“We have not yet ordered any full-size coaches for 2018, but we will do so soon. Going forward, and subject to pricing, I see the super-high Yutong as being a legitimate challenger of European brands in the touring segment.”
Why an event?
In an age where even older travellers are often internet-savvy, why does Leons hold a yearly holiday event? It delivers a number of benefits, says the company, and many customers welcome the opportunity to meet Leons’ staff and to view its coaches. They also appreciate the opportunity to speak to representatives of hotels and attractions such as Oswaldtwistle Mills.
Another equally significant reason became apparent during the time that routeone was present. Among attendees were a number that have not yet travelled on a coach holiday. The event gave them the chance to ask questions of drivers and explore vehicles’ amenities.
Centrepieces of the display were the two Starliners, and comparatively minor aspects such as drinks and toilet provision, along with the method of seat allocation and the luggage allowance, were points of interest to many potential newcomers.
“We schedule the event carefully; I wouldn’t consider a date any later than the first weekend of November, because customers’ thoughts are turning to Christmas,” says Robert.
But if nothing else, Leons’ holiday show proves that coach touring is still buoyant, even if things have changed from how they were done in the past.
Couple strong advance bookings with a prospering private hire operation that fills space around holiday departures, and it’s little wonder that the family-run operator came away from the day with an air of positivity.
