The Coach Tourism Council (CTC) was founded 20 years ago with the objective of promoting travel and tourism by coach. It is now recognised as one of the UK’s leading travel trade organisations supported by a membership of more than 300, including 150 of the UK’s top coach tour companies, who together operate 2,800 coaches and carry more than five million passengers on 75,000 different tours annually.
Here Chris Wales, who is the current chief executive of the Coach Tourism Council and also a founder member of the CTC, recalls how the organisation was set up back in 1988.
“The driving force behind the CTC was Gerry Topiol of Groupways Leisure and Chairman of BAWTA (British Association of Wholesale Tour Agents) who felt there was a need to set up a campaign to promote tourism by coach to the general public. He invited a number of leading coach operators and industry suppliers, myself included, to a meeting to discuss how we could raise funds and get publicity for travel and holidays by coach.
Although the BCC (Bus & Coach Council) was, at the time, the trade body responsible for the coach industry they did not have the remit or the funds to mount such a campaign, although they fully supported the initiative. In fact in the early days CTC Board Meetings were held in BCC offices.
As a result at a well attended meeting a committee of coach operators and suppliers was formed that eventually evolved into the CTC Board. In some respects it was a painful birth as the concept of a public PR campaign was difficult for some at the meeting to grasp so there was some initial opposition. However Gerry persevered and managed to raise £10,000 from sponsors to get the show on the road. On behalf of Sealink I put in £1000 and was subsequently given a seat on the first Board, one of 30!
Many of the challenges facing the coach industry then still exist twenty years on so the need to keep promoting coach tourism to the consumer is as great as ever - if not greater. Back in 1988 there were no low cost airlines, internet booking or long haul DIY holidays. A 60 year old today feels 40, and I speak from personal experience, so feels healthier to take more adventurous holidays.
Early retirement, final salary pensions, good health and empty nests mean that the baby boomers of the late 1940’s have more time and a high disposable income which has resulted in turning what was the traditional coach passenger into a bolder, independent and more sophisticated traveller. Its great to see that the majority of coach operators have risen to the challenge to cater for this changed market with a huge investment in new luxury coaches and a quality product, while retaining the personal service for which coach operators are renowned. Today the CTC promotes its message through an on-going PR campaign which is very much aimed at showing journalists and the travelling public how coaching has evolved and how the coach product now stands comparison with any other form of travel.
So what has the CTC achieved in 20 years? As well as establishing itself as the voice of the coach tourism industry, a forum to discuss trade issues and as a vehicle for networking the prime achievement must be the fact that the coach tourism industry is still alive and kicking! Today there are more than eight million people using coaches for excursions, short breaks and longer holidays and we are confident these numbers will continue to rise over the next two decades”.
