The Coach Tourism Association is emphasising the key role the industry plays to tourism in England as part of English Tourism Week, 13-22 March 2026. Coach operators take over a million people on trips and tours every year, generating significant tourism spend across England. Travel by coach is also the greenest form of motorised transport and provides accessible travel, both of which are key to supporting a sustainable tourism future.

“Coach operators, and the attractions, destinations, hotels, and services that back them, generate significant revenue for the English tourism economy, as well as across the UK,” says Robert Shaw, CTA Chair. “Coach operators take over a million people on trips and tours every year, covering events as well as tourism destinations. Crucially, as coach tour companies operate year-round, customers arriving by coach are a lifeblood during the typical close seasons, which is particularly important revenue for classic tourism destinations such as seaside towns. This is also vital to support core tourism employment.”

As well as the revenue that coach tourism generates, this English Tourism Week the CTA is also emphasising that travel by coach is the most sustainable form of motorised transport. Compared to travel by car, travel by coach is generates six times less greenhouse gas emissions per passenger, according to UK Government Greenhouse gas conversion factors. Travel by coach also generates 1.5 less emissions per passenger compared to travel by train.

“The environmental advantage of coach travel is not only the overall reduction in emissions compared to travel by car, but also lower kerbside emissions for attractions and destinations,” says Robert Shaw. “One coach takes the road space of four cars but can carry as many passengers as 20 cars. As a result, coaches can play a key role in reducing congestion and demand on a village or town’s costly parking allocation, making it much easier for destinations to achieve the volume of tourists with significantly lower impact on their infrastructure.”

The CTA highlights that coach operators also promote accessible travel, which is vital if disability prevents people from driving. Many coach operators have a strong focus on providing travel for customers with a variety of disabilities, supported by an increasing number of hotels that offer a range of fully accessible accommodation options.

“A trip or holiday by coach can provide an amazing experience, and a great advantage is that modern coaches, along with the skills and experience of the people at the companies who operate them, extend the pleasure and freedom of this experience, no matter the customer’s ability,” says Robert Shaw.

While the aim of English Tourism Week is to highlight the contribution English tourism makes to the UK economy, the CTA is marking the event by encouraging ever greater partnership with attractions, destinations, and service providers around England and the UK to welcome the advantages of coach travel.