Coach passengers spend £8.3 billion a year in Britain's tourist hotspots

17th October 2024

Just one additional coach every day can deliver £1 million of economic value annually to a destination.

The coach industry in Britain supports 81,000 jobs, generating £6.4 billion of economic value through employment.

Coaches provide 450 million journeys a year in Britain - equivalent to 40% of all journeys taken by rail.

The coach sector delivers vital economic benefits to towns, cities and tourist destinations across Britain according to independent research commissioned by the Confederation of Passenger Transport.

The Economic Impact of Coach Services research by KPMG sets out to quantify the financial benefits of coach services to the British economy - including direct impacts for passengers and operators, and additional benefits that arise for supply chains, commerce and communities.  

Launching the research in Blackpool just one day before the start of two major tourist events - the Lightpool and Sequence Dance Festivals - CPT's CEO Graham Vidler said,  

"This new research shows that towns or destinations that can welcome one extra coach every day could bring up to £1 million a year into their local economy.   

"To reap these benefits every city, town and tourist destination must plan for coach, so they offer adequate coach parking and good facilities for both passengers and coach drivers as part of their sustainable travel and tourism strategy". 

The research reveals that across Britain coaches facilitate 450 million journeys each year and coach passengers spend £8.3 billion every year in local economies. 

Around £ 2.3 billion comes from passenger spending on leisure and shopping trips. 
Day-trippers using coaches spend £3.5 billion per year. 
Domestic coach passengers who stay overnight at their destination add £1.9 billion to the economy annually. 
International tourists travelling by coach spend over £600m   
Furthermore, the coach industry is a substantial employer, with high concentrations of jobs in areas such as Cornwall, the Scottish Highlands and mid-Wales which are particularly reliant on coach connections to reach major hubs.

Some 54,000 people are employed directly in the industry - including drivers, mechanics, operations managers and customer service representatives. The industry supports a further 27,000 jobs in its supply chain. Collectively, these jobs contribute £6.4 billion to the economy.

The research was launched in Blackpool on the same day the city was re-awarded its CPT Coach Friendly status. This award recognises the efforts made by Blackpool Council to create the right conditions for coaches to operate and to encourage more coach tourism.  

 The coach sector's contribution is particularly pronounced in parts of the country with rural populations, and in parts of the country with less extensive rail services. For example, the coach sector's employment and supply chain is worth over £425 million in Wales and £640 million in Scotland.

Read the full report HERE
Pdf 44 Pages

https://www.cpt-uk.org/