Proximity Coach Travel is gaining traction in the education tour sector with launch of a niche The Coach Wizard consultancy offering at the School Travel Forum in late 2025. It has seen the coach hire specialist engaged by sports and student agency SLT Tours on that basis.
Director of Sales at Proximity Matt Hanson under his The Coach Wizard identity is providing the client with hands-on support for selected education tours. He has already visited SLT’s head office in Doncaster and worked with the business on itineraries for 2026.
That consultancy support will help SLT “to work more efficiently, reduce costs, and stay in full control of its coach travel planning,” says Mr Hanson. It will draw upon what he adds is a ‘three Cs’ framework:
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- Control – introducing SLT Tours to suitable, trusted coach suppliers
- Compliance – ensuring that transport meets all required legal and safety standards
- Cost savings – delivering efficiencies by leveraging Proximity’s buying power and supply chain.
The arrangement will be particularly valuable to SLT during the traditionally busy periods in the education calendar, including those around the February half-term, Easter and the May bank holiday, when demand for coach travel into continental Europe is at its highest.
Mr Hanson will also mentor a member of the SLT team responsible for coach allocations. Early results of that have demonstrated what he says are benefits including time savings, reduced costs, and faster decision-making supported by instant access to expert insight.
“I have seen it so many times in my career,” Mr Hanson continues. “When you stretch the communication chain, it can snap. The Coach Wizard service is all about simplicity and effectiveness.
“We have a network that SLT can tap into, and we help it to enhance its operation, which ultimately saves time and money without compromising reliability, quality and safety. SLT will work directly with coach operators, enabling a smooth transition.”
SLT Chief Executive Matthew Rogers has welcomed the partnership and how it will drive efficiency, upskill internal talent, and enable the business to build a more robust supply chain.
He describes the collaboration so far as “really productive” and having driven excellent results by linking SLT with some operators that it has not previously worked with. “We have seen first-hand how The Coach Wizard can help us to procure respected operators for our tours,” Mr Rogers continues.
“We are leaning on his expertise, contacts and ability to deliver on-point pricing while working with members of our operations team and helping them to improve the relationships we have with the supply chain and freeing up valuable time within the department.
“While we have some fantastic coach providers already, The Coach Wizard enhances our options.”
Mr Hanson adds that work between Proximity Coach Travel and SLT illustrates how the Lancashire-based specialist founded in 2025 by him and his wife Kathryn Cordey-Hanson has a wide-ranging understanding of the coach industry and can offer clients the right solution to suit their particular needs.
