ABA Foundation Releases 2024 Motorcoach Group Travel Economic Impact Report
Motorcoach group travel generated nearly $90 billion in economic activity and supported more than half a million U.S. jobs in 2024, underscoring the sector’s vital role in tourism and local economies.
The American Bus Association Foundation (ABAF) today announced the release of its new report, 2024 Economic Impact of Motorcoach Group Travel in the United States. This comprehensive study, conducted by Tourism Economics on behalf of ABAF, quantifies the significant economic activity generated by motorcoach group travel – defined as organized charter, tour, and sightseeing trips by motorcoach (excluding scheduled commuter or intercity bus service) – nationwide.
According to the report’s findings, motorcoach group travel generated an $89.7 billion total economic impact in 2024, underscoring the industry’s crucial role in the U.S. travel and tourism sector. The analysis examines direct spending by motorcoach travelers and operators, as well as the downstream indirect and induced effects on employment, wages, and tax revenues across the country.
Key Findings
Some of the key highlights from the 2024 Economic Impact of Motorcoach Group Travel report include:
- Robust Traveler Activity: Motorcoach group travelers logged an estimated 14.9 billion passenger-miles in the U.S. during 2024 – reflecting the extensive reach of motorcoach tours and charter trips nationwide.
- Major Direct Spending: These travelers spent approximately $39.8 billion on trip-related expenses in 2024. This figure encompasses spending on motorcoach transportation as well as associated purchases like accommodations, food & beverages, recreation, and retail shopping during their trips. For example, travelers spent about $13.2 billion on food and beverages, $8.7 billion on motorcoach transport, $7.5 billion on retail, and $7.2 billion on recreation in 2024.
- Total Economic Footprint: When accounting for indirect and induced effects, the total economic output attributable to motorcoach group travel reached $89.7 billion for the year. In other words, each dollar spent by motorcoach tourists rippled through the economy to generate more than double overall business sales.
- Jobs Supported Nationwide: Motorcoach group travel supported approximately 561,665 U.S. jobs in 2024. This includes direct employment (jobs with motorcoach companies, hotels, restaurants, attractions, etc., serving these travelers) and additional jobs supported through supply-chain and spending impacts. In fact, the motorcoach group travel sector accounted for roughly one in every 385 jobs in the United States. Notably, over 135,000 of those jobs were in the food and beverage industry, the sector benefiting most from motorcoach tourism activity.
- Significant Tax Contributions: The industry’s growth translated into $16.0 billion in tax revenues for federal, state, and local governments in 2024. This includes taxes generated directly by travel spending and those arising from broader economic effects. To put this into perspective, the report notes that each U.S. household would have had to pay an additional $120 in taxes last year to replace the aggregate state and local tax revenue attributable to motorcoach group travel. In total, motorcoach travel and tourism provided about $7.1 billion in federal tax receipts and $8.8 billion in state and local taxes, easing the burden on general taxpayers.
These findings highlight the outsized economic impact of the motorcoach travel industry. From small towns to large cities, communities across the country benefit from the spending of motorcoach tour groups on lodging, dining, entertainment, and shopping. The report highlights that this form of group travel is not only a convenient and efficient way for millions of people to experience the country, but also a powerful engine of economic growth, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Industry Leaders’ Commentary
“This report underscores the crucial role motorcoach group travel plays in our nation’s economy. The numbers tell a powerful story – nearly $90 billion in economic activity and over half a million jobs supported by our industry,” said Fred Ferguson, President & CEO of the American Bus Association (ABA). “Motorcoaches aren’t just moving passengers; they’re fueling local economies in every corner of the country. From hotels and restaurants to attractions and Main Street businesses, communities thrive when motorcoach groups arrive—and it all starts with the professional operators behind the wheel. So next time you see a motorcoach in your town, remember to #ThankABus for keeping America moving.”
Lew Myers, the ABA Foundation’s Director of Research, Policy, and Impact, echoed the importance of the data in understanding and advocating for the industry. “Buses bring business! The data clearly demonstrate the outsized impact of group travel by motorcoach on our economy,” Myers noted. “When travelers choose a motorcoach for their group trips, they are not only enjoying a comfortable, safe journey – they are injecting billions of dollars into local businesses and supporting jobs in every state. This research gives us hard evidence of that contribution, and it comes with new tools to help visualize these benefits market by market.”
Ferguson added that the study’s release comes at a pivotal time for the industry: “As we continue to promote the value of motorcoach travel, having concrete figures like $89.7 billion in economic output and 560,000+ jobs is invaluable when advocating for the industry in Washington, D.C.,” he said. “We encourage policymakers and the public to take note of these findings. Every tour and charter trip matters – it means real jobs, real tax revenue, and real opportunities for communities. Our goal is to ensure the motorcoach travel sector gets the recognition and support it deserves as a vital part of America’s transportation and tourism infrastructure.”
New Interactive Economic Impact Map
To help stakeholders delve deeper into the results, the ABA Foundation has launched a 2024 Motorcoach Economic Impact Interactive Map in conjunction with the report. This online tool allows users to explore the economic impact data by U.S. state and congressional district, making it easy to see how motorcoach group travel benefits specific regions. By clicking on an interactive map of the United States, visitors can pull up state-specific summaries and statistics for 2024, including the number of visitors, spending, jobs supported, and tax revenue generated in each state.
The ABAF has also created a “quick hit” report for each state, available for easy download.
The interactive map is designed to bring the report’s findings to life visually, highlighting, for example, how states like California or Texas benefit from motorcoach tourism compared to smaller states. “We now have a state-by-state visualization of our industry’s impact,” added Myers. “This interactive map gives local leaders and elected officials a clear view of what motorcoach travel contributes to their own backyard. It’s a powerful tool to demonstrate that when a motorcoach comes to town, it’s delivering economic wins for that community.”
Readers can access the full report (including national and state-level analyses) and the interactive impact map on the ABA Foundation’s website. By providing detailed data and accessible tools, ABAF aims to inform industry members, policymakers, and the public about the significant role motorcoach group travel plays in fueling economic development.
