The newest research from the American Bus Association Foundation puts real numbers behind something every driver already knows. When coaches are rolling, the entire country benefits. From tour groups to school trips to charter runs, the motorcoach industry quietly delivers huge economic value in every corner of the nation.
According to the report, group travel generated nearly ninety billion dollars in economic activity during twenty twenty four and supported more than five hundred thousand jobs. Once scheduled service is added in the industry’s total impact rises to one hundred fifty-eight billion dollars, with eight hundred eighty-five thousand jobs supported and twenty-seven point seven billion dollars in tax revenue created.
The states seeing the biggest lift from motorcoach group travel were California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts, and Florida, all topping billions in annual impact.
The analysis from Tourism Economics measured not only direct traveler spending but the ripple effect that coach movements create. Every hotel stay, restaurant meal, attraction ticket, and fuel stop builds wages, jobs, and tax revenue.
ABA President and CEO Fred Ferguson said the findings highlight the power of motorcoach travel to reshape the classic American road trip.
“These are impressive numbers,” Ferguson said. “It’s something the entire industry can be proud of.”
A new online tool puts the impact on the map.
Ferguson said this research gives operators something solid to take to lawmakers who may not realize how often buses move sports teams, students, senior groups, tour passengers, and corporate travelers.
“People don’t realize how often buses move sports teams, students, seniors, and corporate groups,” he said. “Our coaches are full because communities rely on us.”
To make the message clear, the foundation released an online Motorcoach Economic Impact Interactive Map. The resource shows exactly how job spending and tax revenue break down in each state and congressional district.
Ferguson said the tool gives drivers and operators something powerful to take into any meeting, whether it is with a local representative or a federal office.
“During COVID, our industry didn’t have the visibility it needed,” Ferguson said. “Now we can walk into an office in Minnesota or Alabama and show exactly what our industry means to that community.”
“When you walk into an office with district numbers, you’re speaking their language,” Ferguson said.
He added that the message cannot wait for the next emergency or shutdown.
“Lobbying isn’t complicated. It’s showing up,” he said. “Other industries are always on Capitol Hill, and UMA has set the bar with their annual Motorcoach Fly-in. We’re proud to help support the build-out of this same presence.”
Ferguson said the research also strengthens relationships with hotels, attractions, tourism organizations, and destinations that depend on group travel across the country.
“If you have a bus program or support group tours, we’ll bring visitors and revenue, and now we can prove it,” Ferguson said.
Scott Michael, President and CEO of the United Motorcoach Association, said the numbers give the industry the visibility it deserves.
“The ABA Foundation study is a great resource we use to help educate Congress about our industry,” he said. “We are grateful to our members who participated in providing data.”
What the numbers mean for drivers
The report covers both direct traveler spending and broader economic impacts. Motorcoach travel generated thirty-seven point six billion passenger miles in twenty twenty four, which is a massive amount of movement feeding into local economies nationwide. Travelers spent nearly seventy billion dollars on everything from transportation to food, lodging, attractions, and more.
“Motorcoaches aren’t just moving passengers; they’re fueling local economies in every corner of the country,” Ferguson said. “From hotels and restaurants to attractions and Main Street businesses, communities thrive when motorcoach groups arrive.”
Lew Myers, the ABA Foundation’s director of research policy and impact, said the data makes one message clear.
“Buses bring business,” Myers said. “When travelers choose motorcoaches, they’re not just enjoying a comfortable, safe trip — they’re supporting jobs and driving spending in every state.”
Ferguson noted that as travelers search for more sustainable and affordable transportation, the coach industry becomes even more important.
“Every tour and charter trip matters,” he said. “It means real jobs, real tax revenue, and real opportunities for communities.”
“There are eighteen hundred operators across the country, in every corner of the U S,” he said. “With the right focus and a regulatory framework that treats buses as part of short route mobility, we can rethink regional travel.”
He said operators already experimenting with airport transfers, integrated routes, and multimodal service show how quickly the industry can adapt.
“There’s innovation out there,” he said. “We just need to scale it.”
A critical part of emergency response
Ferguson said the report reinforces something many drivers have witnessed themselves. Motorcoach fleets step in when the country needs to move large groups fast.
“When the National Guard needs to move troops or communities need to evacuate during a storm, they call us,” he said. “That’s who we are. We show up. Moving troops or helping during disasters is a national security responsibility.”
Operators work closely with emergency planners and state safety officials to prepare for storm evacuations and rapid response needs.
“When a hurricane forms off the coast, our companies already know to get ready,” he said.
Ferguson also reminded policymakers that motorcoach operators contribute directly to the nation’s infrastructure.
“We pay fuel taxes into the Highway Trust Fund,” he said. “Public transit doesn’t. That’s a big distinction.”
He said younger travelers are driving more demand for cleaner transportation, and motorcoaches are already far ahead.
“There’s no greener way to travel than by motorcoach,” he said. “Per mile, we emit less carbon than cars, planes, or trains. That’s a message we need to amplify.”
Advocacy starts in your own community.
Ferguson credited ABA Board Member and policy committee chair Mike Canine, CEO of Lorenz Bus Service in Minneapolis, for showing how real influence begins with local connections.
“Mike’s built relationships with state and federal officials,” he said. “That’s where it begins, in your own backyard.”
Ferguson, a former Capitol Hill staffer, said Washington is more receptive than many drivers might think.
“At the staff level, it’s less partisan than people think,” he said. “The key is showing up and building trust.”
He encouraged more operators to get involved in advocacy.
“When a local business owner walks into an office, it carries more weight than any lobbyist,” Ferguson said. “We’ll back them up, but the message is strongest coming from the people on the ground.”
The full ABA Foundation report and the interactive map are available online and offer a new way for operators, drivers, and advocates to communicate the importance of keeping coaches on the road.
Source: Bus and Motorcoach News
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