30th Day of Coach Tourism on 9th of January 2012 in the Autostadt Wolfsburg

Coach holidays are by no means on the way out – innovations in the coach and group tourism sectors!

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The Day of Coach Tourism has been providing the international coach tourism sector with valuable impulses and compelling ideas for many years now. It aims to provide a cross-branch platform for dialogue and exchange that draws on the knowledge, experience, methods and expertise of all partners involved in this dynamic market. The 30th Day of Coach Tourism will be held on 9th January 2012, in the Autostadt, Wolfsburg, Germany.

The Autostadt (www.autostadt.de) is an outstanding venue which offers superb possibilities for networking with colleagues and for discussions with speakers and panelists alike – before, during and after the “Day of Coach Tourism”. You can already enter the mood on the evening of Sunday 8th January 2012 during the now traditional and popular pre-conference get-together.

Current market research indicates that coach holidays are by no means a thing of the past nor are they on their way out. In addition to 5.6 million ‘genuine’ German coach holidays, another 1.4 million German flight-holidaymakers undertake coach trips and excursions of several days duration while in their holiday destinations. A total of 19.4 million German holidaymakers whose primary mode of holiday-transport was not a coach use coaches, however, for transfers, outings, relaxation and culture. In other words: coaches provide a safe, modern and comfortable means to discover and explore holiday destinations to the very full.

Despite all of this and despite promising demographic trends, the traditional German coach holiday market is rather stagnant. The coach and group tourism sectors could, however, motivate traditional client bases anew while attracting new customers with novel methods, creative offers, flexible combinations and interesting variations.

Key questions and subjects that will be explored and discussed in detail by a panel of renowned industry experts include:

• Discovering the pioneering spirit anew – into the future with combined holiday trips?
• Re-launching coach holidays in classical destinations and the development and inclusion of new holiday destinations.
• New thinking in the field of tourism marketing: a thousand medium-sized tour operators as comprehensive distribution and sales partners for almost all countries and destinations.
• Away from the tourism monoculture. Coach holidays include and embrace hinterland regions. Rectification of mass tourism and its side effects.
• The new role for wholesalers (Paketer) in combined holiday trips.
• Club and association trips in multi-tiered combined offers.
• Diversification in the coach tourism sector. Large travel concerns are once again discovering this market niche.
• How can one effectively counter “Blockbuster Offers” from supermarkets and discounters?
• The congenial partnership between coach and cruise operators between the Rhine and the Dnieper and from the Northern Cape to Genoa.
• Coastal cruise trips: door-openers for combined holiday trips. Own coach based in the destination?
• Combined holiday trips: demanding holidaymakers expect holiday coaches with “Made in Germany” standards all over the world.
• Tourism politics: promoting structures for medium-sized companies; business customs; infrastructure in Europe, North Africa, Middle East etc.

Additional aspects: securing long-haul business; long-distance coach transport, the role of rail in transport and tour operations; combination trips near and far – new business models, networks and perspectives for the incoming sector. New rules –new chances!Coach trips fit all holiday types – the 30th Day of Coach Tourism aims to provide impulses for and to make a contribution to the development of new offers and holiday tour variations and to link coach and group travel operators into current and long-term trends. It will highlight the core customer potential from coach tourism for new destinations and make recommendations for worthwhile co-operation with this flexible branch. It aims to realize exchanges of experience in the chain of wealth generation: coach companies at home and in the holiday destination, event and group tourism operators, travel agencies, wholesalers (Paketer), complimentary modes of transport – flight, ship, rail – along with Tourist Boards and service suppliers in the holiday destinations themselves. It is, therefore, also very much about tourism promotion and tourism development! Pro & Contra: Renowned industry experts have already agreed to participate and RDA-President Richard Eberhardt will open the conference. USP of the Day of Coach Tourism is that the podium discussion protagonists (following upon the expert statements) explain background, potential, requirements and constraints. The discussion will, as in past years, be moderated by a prominent member of the German coach travel trade press. RDA CEO Dieter Gauf has been responsible for the conception and organisation of the "Day of Coach Tourism" since 30 years. The full 30th Day of Coach Tourism programme, including a list of speakers, will be published in short and distributed to RDA members by circular. The Day of Coach Tourism target audience includes coach holiday and group travel operators, their contract and distribution partners, advisors, suppliers, coach outfitters and manufacturers on the one hand and tourism and destination marketing organisations on the other. The conference is also addressed to transport providers and tour operators who include coaches in their offerings – with a view to optimal co-operation and coach-friendly conditions; to members of the press – and in view of producing a lively discussion – to politicians, officials and organisations who are concerned with group travel and economic development.Dialogue: The theses, ideas and scenarios that have been included in the conception of the conference promise informative and future-oriented discussions. Your input and ideas are also appreciated and are most welcome in advance of the event. So please contact RDA CEO Dieter Gauf if you would like to make such a contribution.

Participation is gratis and for trade members only.
 
For further information about and registration for the 30th Day of Coach Tourism on Monday, 9th January 2012, in the Autostadt, Wolfsburg, please send an e-mail to dieter.gauf @gauf-germany .de or visit www.tag-der-bustouristik.de.