Accelerating demand for unusual excursions and luxury travel has driven one a year of record sales, says Johnsons Coaches. Headquartered in Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, the firm reports that it has achieved sales of over £17 million in 2023 – a 25% year-on-year increase.
More than 650 holiday departures carrying over 23,000 passengers contributed to the growth – which represents a 22% year-on-year increase in passengers.
Tours have included visits to see the Flying Scotsman, a VIP hovercraft experience from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight, and facilitating a record-breaking 66 ski tours around France, Austria and Italy, all of which contributed to the annual growth, the firm says. In 2023, Johnson’s Luxury Traveller brand grew, with over 30% of its clientele having travelled on Luxury Traveller tours, which the operator says offers a ‘home-from-home experience’ with WiFi, large screen TVs and extra legroom on board.
For 2024, the business has invested in 10 new low emission coaches as part of the its fleet renewal programme, and says it is expecting a record year of demand in 2024. Lauren Davies, Head of Business, Sales and Marketing at Johnsons Coaches, said: “Keeping up with travel trends whilst retaining seasonal favourites has been fundamental to our consistent growth since the pandemic. While traditional tours are selling well, with the average spend now at £862 per person for brochure tours, new and quirky excursions are seeing significant growth – particularly amongst a younger demographic – which is a new market that we are tapping into.
“We are also seeing an increase in later bookings, as well as single bookers with more people keen to pursue an adventure and make new friends.
“We’re really proud to be celebrating our 115th anniversary in 2024 – much of which has been built upon our reputable customer service – and we are looking forward to continuing our journey and totting up the next 115 years.”
Councillor Martin Watson, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economy, and Darren Tosh, Operations and Marketing Director from South Warwickshire’s tourism board Shakespeare’s England, recently visited Johnsons Coaches depot to find out more about their growth and investment. He said: “Seeing a Warwickshire-based family business heading in the right direction, despite the difficult economic climate, is fantastic. Their longevity speaks for itself, and underlines that good customer service and reputation go hand in hand.
“Johnsons Coaches’ upward trajectory is also a reminder that Warwickshire is only a two-to-three-hour coach journey from many parts of the UK – which not only is a positive for the business to grow their day trip offering – but it also helps the region to attract inward investment from tourists, as well as for meetings and events.”
Operations and Marketing Director at Shakespeare’s England Darren Tosh added: “We are anticipating further growth in overseas visitors to key locations such as Stratford and the Cotswolds in 2024, and Johnsons Coaches has a valuable role to play in ensuring that these visitors make the most of their time in the region – and in style – so it’s fantastic to see them going from strength-to-strength.”
