This article needs additional citations for verification .(December 2015) |
Big Bus Tours | |
Company type | Private |
Industry | Open top bus operator |
Predecessors |
|
Founded | 2011 |
Headquarters | Belgravia, London, England, |
Areas served | |
Key people |
|
Revenue | $269 million(2019) [3] |
$(2.3) million(2019) [3] | |
$(45.6) million(2019) [3] | |
Owners | Exponent Private Equity (85%) Merlin Entertainments (15%) |
Website | bigbustours.com |
Big Bus Tours (formerly Les Cars Rouges and The Big Bus Company), is the largest operator of open top bus sightseeing tours[ citation needed ] founded in May 2011 after "Les Cars Rouges" and the "Big Bus Company" merged. The company operates in 23 cities of 11 countries with more than 150 buses around the world. [4] The United States is the country with the largest number of cities with Big Bus Tours service. Typically, Big Bus Tours use open top double-decker buses in burgundy and cream-coloured livery.
"Les Cars Rouges" was founded in 1990 by Abdallah El Azm in Paris, France. Over the course of the next two decades, it went on to operate in Paris, Rome, Washington DC, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Miami, and Istanbul. The "Big Bus Company" first started operating in London, England in June 1991 with four buses by the Maybury family. It later expanded to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Philadelphia, and so on. [5]
"Les Cars Rouges" and "the Big Bus Company" merged in May 2011, and formed "Big Bus Tours". Les Cars Rouges was the larger of the two companies, but for international namesake purposes, the name "Big Bus" was retained. [6]
In May 2007, the Abu Dhabi company the Al Fahim Group purchased a 30% shareholding. [7] [8]
In February 2015, the business was sold to Exponent Private Equity. [9] [10] In February 2016, Merlin Entertainments bought a 15% shareholding. [11]
Buses travel near major landmarks around the town or city it tours. Pre-recorded or live commentary about the landscape is provided through small headphones worn by each passenger. Users may leave the bus and board again without limit (hop-on, hop-off) at special bus stops on a circular route. In large cities, buses go on more than one route. In some cities (such as Hong Kong) some variants of the ride include travelling by boat. [12]
On 15 December 2008, The Big Bus Hong Kong was established. With the largest fleet of open-top buses in the city, [13] it serves three sightseeing routes: Hong Kong Island (Red Tour), Kowloon (Blue Tour) and Stanley (Green Tour). The tour offers a wide range of packages which include free travel on the Peak Tram, entry to the Sky Terrace on Victoria Peak, a traditional Sampan ride, and a Star Ferry harbour tour.
In August 2018, Big Bus Dublin was officially launched with the most up-to-date fleet in the city. It offers 2 separate tours: Red (city centre and Phoenix Park) and Blue (city centre including Docklands, Glasnevin Cemetery and Croke Park Stadium).
Big Bus Tours bought over local sightseeing tour operator Duck & Hippo in September 2018. [14]
In 2002, The Big Bus Tours Dubai was established. The buses used are traditional open-top double-decker buses. The tour visits numerous sights throughout the Emirate; including the Wafi Mall, Dubai Creek, Creekside Park, Dubai Museum, The Old Souq, Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House, Heritage & Diving Village, Dubai Gold Souk, Deira City Centre, Jumeirah Mosque, Souq Madinat Jumeirah, Burj Al Arab, the Palm Dubai Mall, and the Burj Khalifa.[ citation needed ]
The Big Bus Tours London operates three routes with stops at these tourist destinations: Madame Tussauds, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Westminster Bridge, London Eye, Covent Garden, St Paul's Cathedral, London Bridge, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Harrods, Kensington Palace and Kensington Gardens. [15] [16]
The United Arab Emirates is a high-income developing market economy. The UAE's economy is the 3rd largest in the Middle East, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of US$415 billion in 2021-2023.
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The China Motor Bus Company, Limited, often abbreviated as CMB, is a property developer in Hong Kong. Before its franchise lapsed in 1998, it was the first motor bus operator in Hong Kong, and was responsible for the introduction of double-decker buses to Hong Kong Island.
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The Leyland Olympian was a 2-axle and 3-axle double-decker bus chassis manufactured by Leyland between 1980 and 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production.
City Sightseeing is an open-top, sightseeing tour bus operator. It provides tour bus services in more than 130 cities around the world. As City Sightseeing has grown and expanded, the company now also provides boat tours, sightseeing train tours, and guided walking tours.
Tootbus London, formerly The Original Tour is a London bus tour operator using open-top double-decker buses. It also holds the franchise to run City Sightseeing's London tour. Based in Wandsworth, it is a subsidiary of RATP Dev.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) was formed by the decree number 17 for the year 2005.
Ensign Bus Company Limited, trading as Ensignbus, is a bus and coach operator and bus dealer based in Purfleet, Essex. As of March 2023, it is a part of FirstGroup.
London Pride Sightseeing was an open top sightseeing bus operator in London.
An open top bus is a bus, usually but not exclusively a double-decker bus, which has been built or modified to operate without a roof. Early buses were constructed without roofs but in more recent times they have only been built for tourist and sightseeing services. Some are made by removing all or part of the roof from a more conventional bus.
Open top buses are used in the United Kingdom for sightseeing and seasonal summer services.
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Rickshaw Sightseeing Bus is a brand of sightseeing transportation service operated by Citybus, one of the franchised bus services operators in Hong Kong. It was operated by New World First Bus Services Limited (NWFB) before it was merged into Citybus on 1 July 2023. It offers a thematic sightseeing route by open-top sightseeing buses decorated under the “rickshaw” concept, which is an old Hong Kong icon. It aims to facilitate visitors to explore local culture and diverse attractions of Hong Kong.
The Bath Bus Company is a bus operator in the United Kingdom which runs open top tours in Bath, Bristol and Cardiff, and the 'Bristol Air Decker' service between Bath and Bristol Airport. The company has been a subsidiary of the French RATP Group since 2011.