The Confederation of Passenger Transport has launched the second of two reports, highlighting the benefits of coach travel. Jonathan Welch takes a look at its findings
A few weeks ago, the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) launched its report into the economic impact of the bus industry, with a promise that a similar publication for the coach sector would follow. On 17 October, that report, undertaken by KPMG, was published by CPT, setting out to quantify the financial benefits of coach services to the British economy, including direct impacts for passengers and operators, plus the additional benefits that arise for supply chains, commerce and communities.
Launching the research, CPT 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 as many as 450 million journeys each year, and coach passengers as a whole spend around £8.3 billion per year in local economies, of which around £2.3 billion comes from passenger spending on leisure and shopping trips, whilst day-trippers using coaches spend £3.5 billion. Domestic coach passengers who stay overnight at their destination add £1.9 billion to the economy annually, whilst international tourists travelling by coach spend over £600m, the report found.
Furthermore, the report shows that 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 were found to be employed directly in the industry, that figure including drivers, mechanics, operations managers, customer service representatives and those involved in 
corporate functions such as finance, information technology, human resources, and general management. The report shows that the coach industry supports a further 27,000 jobs in its supply chain, including vehicle retailers, fuel suppliers, maintenance and parts and technology providers. Collectively, it concludes that these jobs contribute £6.4 billion to the economy, adding that those directly or indirectly involved in the provision of services also spend their wages in local economies, which induces additional local employment. The total net value of direct, indirect, and induced employment, including wages, operating costs, operating profits, and taxes, is estimated at around £6.4 billion per year.
The research was launched in Blackpool on the same day the city was re-awarded its CPT Coach Friendly status, recognising the efforts made by Blackpool Council to create the right conditions for coaches to operate and to encourage more coach tourism.
The report found that 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. The coach sector’s employment and supply chain is worth over £425 million in Wales, for example, and £640 million in Scotland, whilst the number of coach journeys in Britain is equivalent to over 40% of the number of journeys undertaken on the entire national rail network, according to figures in the report.
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