Coach tourism operators have converged on Canberra for the launch of Moving People Across Australia, a national policy for the Australian coach sector.
The policy outlines key challenges faced by coach tourism operators in attracting business and proposes solutions the industry can undertake with the support of government.
“At more than $5 billion turnover annually the coach sector is a valuable contributor to the tourism industry and the economy,†said executive director of the Bus Industry Confederation of Australia, Michael Apps.
“Coaches have long been the poor cousin in the tourism sector, and the development of this National Policy Statement is about presenting a unified view on how we can grow the coach tourism sector and the role of industry and government in getting there,†said Apps.
Tourism Research Australia’s 2008 research found on average international visitors travelling by coach stay for 26 nights and spend $8,246 on their trip compared with aircraft travellers who stay for 16 nights, and spend $6,933 in total.
“Coaches can take tourists across and through Australia into our regions and off the beaten track to get a genuine feel for the country and the Australian lifestyle and culture.
“As tourists from rapidly growing markets such as China and India become more sophisticated in their tastes and seek more of these unique experiences we need to ensure we have a vibrant coach sector to meet this demand,†said Apps.
