Get Back On Board campaign will promote ‘modern, convenient’ coach travel

The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has announced that a national marketing campaign to promote coach travel will launch with a TV advertisement in January 2022, set against the backdrop of modern, comfortable coaches. 

The Get Back On Board campaign, the first of its kind, aims to promote travelling by coach around the UK and highlight the benefits of coach travel more widely, such as access to tourist attractions and destinations and trips to towns and city centres, rather than focusing on a particular operator or region.

Get Back On Board has been funded by coach operators including CPT members, CPT and CoachMarque with an advertising agency contracted to coordinate the campaign.

CPT’s coaching manager Phil Smith, who has been working closely with operators, said he was delighted that the coach industry was to deliver its first-ever nationwide TV advertising campaign.  

He added: “Get Back On Board is an industry-wide campaign and via TV advertising it is aimed to raise awareness of the positive experiences coach travel offers more broadly and showcase leisure trips people can take by coach.

“The UK saw a boom in domestic tourism this summer and with more people travelling by coach this campaign can continue to drive this momentum.

“The advert is expected to run at a time of year when operators report seeing an increase in bookings. It is an opportunity to capture the attention of people who may be considering where to go for their summer holidays and short breaks throughout the coming year.”

Commenting on the campaign, a spokesperson from National Express told GLT that coach travel, whether for work, leisure or education offered a “great value, modern, convenient and environmentally-friendly” option.

She added: “The campaign will highlight these positives to a large audience and help raise much-needed awareness for the sector.”