COACH holidays are more popular than ever – and that’s good news to Henley-based Johnsons Coach Travel.
The Coach Tourism Association (CTA) recently conducted a first ever nationwide survey of more than 25,000 people which found almost everyone who had taken a coach holiday were keen to take another, while many were also looking to jump aboard for the first time.
The nationwide survey included responses of more than 1,000 customers of Johnsons Coach Travel, which specialise in providing coach holidays and group tours, together with private coach hire and local bus services.
The survey found nine out of ten of those who already taken a coach holiday would do so again, while six out of ten who had not previously taken a coach holiday were considering one within the next five years.
Already more than 18 million day trips are taken by coach and the CTA estimates well over five million go on a short break or longer holiday by coach, spending £1.4 billion a year.
John Johnson, commercial director of Johnsons Coach Travel, said: “This is the first time the CTA have conducted such a survey and the findings lay a lot of assumptions to rest. Age was one such assumption. As you might expect, coach travel is most favoured by the over-65s but almost 40 per cent of the respondents are below that age.
“The chief reason why people choose a coach holiday is that they take the hassle out of travel and they’re a social way to travel.”
Chris Wales, of the CTA, said coach holidays took the hassle out of travelling.
He added: “As well as giving us such valuable insights, the survey shows how coach tourism on the rise. It is tremendously popular among existing users, and almost half of non-coach users plan to give it a try within five years. The market for coach holidays is growing significantly.”
