Motorcoach travel is a huge part of the American traveling experience. According to the American Bus Association Foundation, motorcoach travel was responsible for almost 640 million passenger trips in 2012, only second to the airlines in terms of passengers. Small, medium and large motorcoach companies moved individual passengers a total of 75.7 billion miles in 2012.
Motorcoach based tourism generates approximately 1.4 million jobs, paying an estimated $55.7 billion in wages and benefits and producing $145.7 billion dollars in total economic activity. The tourism and travel industry also sends $20.1 billion dollars in taxes to Washington, as well as state and local governments across America. The motorcoach industry is also the most environmentally friendly form of transportation, far ahead of airplanes, rail and personal vehicles.
As the country marks National Travel and Tourism Week, the American Bus Association’s Board of Directors will be in suburban Washington, D.C., at National Harbor, Maryland, at their annual spring meeting, May 5 and 6.
“This spring and summer is shaping up to be a great one for motorcoach companies,” said ABA Chairman Tom JeBran, president of Trans-Bridge Lines, Bethlehem, PA. “There’s an excitement as millions of people each week are taking trips on motorcoaches to the hundreds of great destinations all across America. As ABA’s Chairman and as president of a motorcoach company, our business depends on group travel. So, every day, our company and thousands of others in ABA are staying very busy because of travel and tourism.”