More and more each day, Americans are choosing to hop on a motorcoach instead of traveling on planes or trains. Not only do charter bus services provide very valuable benefits for the environment, being the most eco-friendly option available, but they also provide real benefits for local communities that benefit from the increased economic activity.
Here are just a few ways that coach bus companies make a huge impact on local economies:
- Out of approximately 3,400 charter bus services across the country, well over 90% of these companies are small businesses that only operate a handful of buses. Many of these companies operate primarily for local residents, and many are very dedicated to keeping their local economies booming.
- Just one bus can bring in as much revenue as $11,000 in one overnight stay. Between lodging, food, and entertainment, there are many businesses that benefit when passengers spend even a small amount of money.
- All in all, this results in a whopping $55 billion worth of revenue that is generated each year solely because of motorcoach services.
- The best part of that revenue is, much of this revenue naturally stays in the local economy (or, at the very least, within the country). Coach buses can provide about 100 more passenger miles per gallon of fuel than any other transportation option, so they can charge less money per ticket than a train or airplane line. Less money spent on tickets results in passengers being able to spend more money while they’re on the road.
- Of course, businesses in the tourism industry aren’t the only ones that benefit from motorcoach companies. There’s naturally a high demand for skilled workers who can organize trips, operate the buses, make repairs, and create the equipment needed for a well-functioning bus. It’s estimated that nearly 800,000 jobs exist because the coach bus industry industry exists.
So when you’re planning out your next trip, it might just be worth it to stop and think for a minute: have you picked a transportation option which will benefit your economy? If not, you might want to look into your closest charter bus service.
