THE ORIGINAL TOUR ANNOUNCES £1.6M NEW FLEET AT WORLD TRAVEL MARKET
Major Investment Means 33% Of Fleet Wheelchair Accessible
The Original Tour is investing £1.6 million in new open-top buses.
The leading sightseeing operator will be introducing the ten new fully wheelchair accessible buses throughout 2007, with the first of new models hitting the road in June.
This means one third of The Original Tour’s fleet will have wheelchair access, which will be vital for the huge influx of tourists expected during the Olympic and Paralympics in 2012.
The Original Tour, owned by Arriva, has seen both international and domestic business grow this year, including its best ever September figures.
Original Tour commercial director Colin Atkins said: “The decision to go ahead with this purpose-built new fleet underlines our confidence in future growth, particularly from the domestic market, which has made real return to form this year.
“Whilst we have been particularly lucky with the weather this year, we can see that much of the increase in our business has come from industry partners who are now selling trips to London far more actively than ever before. Given their support we believe our growth will continue next year.
“With so many traditional travel income streams being hijacked by direct Internet bookings they now see that domestic tourism and London attractions can be a vital income earner in the future”.
The Original Tour will also be introducing a 48-hour ticket this winter, available from mid-November until the end of February. Normal tickets are for 24-hours, but this longer duration is aimed at visitors who may have more time to spare.
The company has also recently signed a new agreement with Catamaran Cruises, so that The Original Tour customers can continue to enjoy a free 50-minute Thames river cruise.
Catamaran Cruises director of sales Ian Fyfe said: “Our relationship with The Original Tour is very important to us and we sincerely believe that together we are able to offer our guests the ultimate sightseeing experience.”
Editors notes.
· The new buses will have Volvo B9TL chassis, with Euro IV complaint engines and East Lancs’ Visionaire bodies. They have 51 seats on the top deck with 31 underneath, as well as a wheelchair bay, low floor and manual ramp.
· Founded in 1951 at the time of The Festival of Britain, The Original Tour is now the largest single sightseeing operation in the world. The hop-on hop-off service allows customers to board any of its tour routes at over 90 different stops. Services operate daily with a ‘live’ commentary in English or a wide choice of digitally recorded languages. A free river cruise is included with every ticket and the Kids' Club provides an educational but fun alternative for 5-12 year olds. For more information you can visit their web site www.theoriginaltour.com
· Arriva is one of the largest transport services organisations in Europe with operations in Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. With over 30,000 employees, Arriva provides more than one billion passenger journeys every year through an extensive range of public transport services including buses, trains, commuter coaches and water buses. In the UK, the Group is also engaged in bus and coach distribution.
Ends.