Coach tourism benefits Cotswold economy

A recent article in the Daily Express listed concerns by residents of the Cotswolds over the impact coach tourism has on the local population - with some areas going to far as to suggest banning coach entry altogether citing the state of roads, lack of parking and volume of coach travel is having a negative impact on the area.

It’s perhaps time to look at some of these concerns in a bit more detail, not least because demand for travel by coach has increased significantly of late, with many operators saying they are returning to pre-pandemic levels, and in some case exceeding them.

So it’s perhaps worthwhile taking a moment to highlight how coach tourism not only benefits the local economy by staggering amounts, but also, from an infrastructure perspective, look at how tour operators and the local population have the same goals: more parking and better roads improve both the lives of locals, and the efficiency of work carried out by coach drivers.

The article states that rural Gloucestershire needs more parking and roads fit for purpose to meet demand. The RHA sees eye-to-eye with concerned residents on this and want to work with them. Improving infrastructure is one of our main campaigning goals. Improved parking facilities and better roads will not only ease traffic woes from increased tourism but also benefit the local population.

Similarly, there’s a lot of rhetoric over how tourists arrive for only short spans of time. The implication in the article is that local populaces are suffering due to over-tourism. When looking at this from an empirical point of view, it doesn’t stack up. The coach contributes vast sums to Cotswold businesses.

According to the Cotswold’s report on the economic impact of tourism for 2022, the area serviced 1,685,000 overnight visitors for that year alone, contributing £142,492,000 to the local economy. Visitors coming for day trips contributed £193,516,000. Because of tourism, 6,153 residents are in employment. £342,261,000 was contributed by tourism as evidenced by the Cotswold’s own report.

Curtailing tourists from the beautiful English countryside would put the handbrake on Gloucester’s economic growth and would have serious ramifications for the local economy and job market. Banning coaches in this sense would be like cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face.

And while many residents may have problems with coaches themselves, they still remain the most sensible choice of vehicle for efficiently getting tourists to the area. Swapping coaches for minibuses would make traffic congestion worse, whereas with a coach, sixty tourists can fill one vehicle. To get the same number of people to their destination using minibuses or even cars would dramatically worsen congestion.

In reality, it’s not tourism or the coach industry, but rather a lack of investment in local infrastructure that is harming the local population. More roads and more parking would improve the quality of life for locals without harming the local economy.

People from all corners of the globe want to take time out of their schedules, travel far, and spend their hard-earned money in the beautiful English countryside. There are two responses to this: one invest in infrastructure which delivers and makes life better for tourists, local residents and coach operators alike. Or alternatively, cripple your local economy over a dispute which has a solution that would improve your own road experience?

We at the RHA believe the main problem that needs resolving is that current planning rules do not sufficiently support local planners to grant permission for new and expanded parking. If local developers can support the demand through the construction of coach parking, then the Cotswold’s can be truly open for all with the need to harm the local economy in the process.