Coach operator ready for growth in overseas visitors to Warwickshire

Accelerating demand for unusual excursions and luxury travel has driven one of the UK’s leading coach operators to a record year of sales.

Johnsons Coaches, headquartered in Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, has achieved sales of over £17 million in 2023 – a 25 per cent increase from 2022.

More than 650 departures carrying over 23,000 passengers have contributed to this growth – which is a 22 per cent increase in passengers from 2022.

Visits organised by Johnsons Coaches to see the Flying Scotsman and a VIP hovercraft experience from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight, along with facilitating a record-breaking 66 ski tours around France, Austria and Italy have contributed to the seismic annual growth via the business’s coach hire.

In 2023, their Luxury Traveller brand has grown from strength to strength with latest records indicating over 30 per cent of Johnsons clientele have travelled on Luxury Traveller tours, with more people choosing a home-from-home experience with Wi-Fi, large screen TVs and extra legroom.

For 2024, the business has invested in 10 brand-new low emission executive vehicles as part of the organisation’s fleet renewal programme – as it gears up for 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.”

Cllr 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 found out more about Johnsons Coaches’ growth and investment.

Cllr Watson 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.”

Darren Tosh, Operations and Marketing Director at Shakespeare’s England, commented: “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.”