ABAF Expands Economic Impact Study to Include Scheduled Service, Revealing Full Footprint of U.S. Motorcoach Travel
Motorcoach travel drives $158 billion in economic impact, supporting over 890,000 jobs
The American Bus Association (ABA) Foundation today announced the release of its 2025 Motorcoach Economic Impact Report, conducted by Tourism Economics, which for the first time measures the full scope of the motorcoach industry — including both group travel and scheduled service — to capture the complete economic value of motorcoach travel in the United States.
The expanded analysis found that motorcoach travel generated a total economic impact of $158 billion in 2024, supporting more than 890,000 full- and part-time jobs across the U.S. economy and generating $27.7 billion in taxes for federal, state, and local governments.
The report highlights that motorcoach travelers spent $69.8 billion last year, including transportation, lodging, food, recreation, and retail — reflecting both the private charter/group travel market and scheduled intercity and airport-to-city routes. This broader view underscores the essential role motorcoaches play not just in tourism, but also in regional connectivity and affordable public transportation.
“The motorcoach and group travel industry is an economic force,” said Fred Ferguson, President & CEO of the American Bus Association. “I’m grateful to the ABA Foundation for sponsoring this research and equipping our advocacy team with the data we need to advance policies that strengthen operators, expand mobility, and support economic growth nationwide.”
Key Findings
Key findings from the report include:
- $69.8 billion in direct spending by motorcoach travelers in 2024.
- $158.0 billion total economic impact nationwide when including indirect and induced effects.
- More than 890,000 jobs supported across all sectors — from hospitality to retail to transportation.
- $50.5 billion in wages and salaries generated.
- $27.7 billion in total tax revenue, with $15.8 billion to state and local governments.
The expanded analysis separates the two major components of the motorcoach sector:
- Group Travel: Generated $89.3 billion in total economic impact and 516,000 jobs.
- Scheduled Service: Generated $68.7 billion in total economic impact and 374,000 jobs.
Updated Interactive Economic Impact Map
To help stakeholders delve deeper into the expanded results, the ABA Foundation has launched an updated 2025 Motorcoach Economic Impact Interactive Map in conjunction with the report. This online tool now reflects the full economic impact of the motorcoach industry, incorporating both group travel and scheduled service data to provide the most comprehensive view of the bus industry’s contribution to the U.S. economy.
The interactive platform allows users to explore economic impact data by U.S. state and congressional district, making it easy to see how motorcoach travel — across all service types — benefits specific regions. By clicking on an interactive map of the United States, visitors can view state-specific summaries and statistics for 2024, including the business sales, jobs supported, wages, and tax revenue generated in each state.
The ABA Foundation has also created a “quick hit” report for each state, available for easy download.
Readers can access the full report — including national, state, and district-level analyses — and the updated Motorcoach Economic Impact Interactive Map on the ABA Foundation’s website. By providing detailed data and accessible tools, the ABA Foundation aims to inform industry members, policymakers, and the public about the significant role that motorcoach travel, in all forms, plays in fueling economic development across America.
