Gray Line Worldwide

Last updated
Gray Line Worldwide
GrayLineWorldwide.svg
Founded1910 (1910)
HeadquartersDenver, Colorado
Service areaWorldwide
Service typeSightseeing Tours
Operator100+ licensees worldwide
Chief executiveGriffin Hanbury
Website www.grayline.com

Gray Line Worldwide is an international sightseeing company that consist of local sightseeing operators around the world. The company was founded in 1910 and operates worldwide through independent operators it calls "licensees" with a presence in most of the world's most popular sightseeing destinations. Gray Line does not provide sightseeing services directly, but rather provides its brand, promotional services and booking systems to licensees. [1] Gray Line is also the largest direct supplier of destination services to online travel sellers, wholesalers and travel agents.

Contents

History

A Seattle Gray Line bus at its terminal, circa 1951 Seattle - Gray Line bus, circa 1951 (49920045611).jpg
A Seattle Gray Line bus at its terminal, circa 1951

In March 1910, a young restaurateur called Louis Bush refurbished an old Mack Truck chassis, painted it blue and gray and began offering sightseeing tours around the city of Washington, D.C.

By 1926, Gray Line had expanded to other booming cities including New York, Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Francisco, as well as internationally to Toronto and Havana. With peacetime following World War II, Harry J. Dooley, a former Gray Line employee, acquired the company and helped re-establish Gray Line Chicago. Dooley soon became president of Gray Line and is today considered the father of the sightseeing industry.

With the advent of jet travel and increased gateways in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Dooley expanded Gray Line's market throughout the United States and established Gray Line companies in Canada, Mexico, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The sudden popularity growth in motorcoach sightseeing helped position Gray Line as a leader in the sightseeing industry.

The brand is currently managed from an office based in Denver, Colorado.

Gray Line has a presence in over 700 locations, spanning six continents, and is the largest sightseeing company in the world. In 2018 its carriers handled over 35 million passengers.

People boarding a Gray Line bus in Nashville, Tennessee, 2018. Gray Line Nashville.jpg
People boarding a Gray Line bus in Nashville, Tennessee, 2018.

Licensees

LocationOperator
US (Alaska)Holland America Group
AmsterdamBlue Boat Company
ArgentinaAV & MV SRL
US (Asheville, NC)Asheville Trolley Company, LLC
AustriaVienna Sightseeing Tours
Greece (Athens)Athens Open Tour
Australia Driver Group
China (Beijing)DTI, Ltd.
Germany (Berlin)Bus Verkehr Berlin [2]
US (Boston, MA)Brush Hill Tours
US (Branson, MO)Thompson Transportation Group, LLC
BrazilBrazil 4 You Operadora Receptiva
Canada (British Columbia)West Coast Sightseeing
Mexico (Cancun)Mayaland Tours
US (Charleston, SC)M&S Holding Co.
US (Chicago, IL)Aries Charter
ChileChirak Tour
ColombiaRespresentaciones Irigoyen Vega Cia Ltd
US (Colorado)Colorado Tour Line
Costa RicaFantasy Tours
CroatiaAdriatic 4 You
Czech RepublicBohemia Travel
Dominican RepublicTransporte Turistico F&S Tours
EcuadorCombratur
EgyptSouth Sinai Travel
EmiratesKurban Tours
Italy (Florence)CAF Tours
Switzerland (Geneva)Keytours S.A.
GuatemalaReuxtreme-Reustours
Canada (Halifax, NS)Ambassatours
China (Hong Kong)Gray Line Tours of Hong Kong Limited
HungaryCityrama
IcelandGray Line Iceland
IndonesiaP.T. Regina Alta Panorama Tours
IrelandThe Dualway Group
IsraelConsolidated Tour Operators Ltd.
UK (London) Golden Tours
US (Los Angeles, CA)Gl Vegas, Inc.
Los CabosGray Line Los Cabos SA de CV
MacauGray Line Tours Hong Kong Limited
MaltaSupreme Travel
Australia (Melbourne)Driver Group Australia
US (Miami, FL)Miami Incoming Services, LLC
US (Minneapolis, MN)Schmitty & Sons Transit, Inc.
Canada (Montreal, QC) Coach Canada
MoroccoUtess Voyages
Germany (Munich)Autobus Oberbayern
US (Myrtle Beach, SC)Leisure Time Unlimited, Inc.
US (New Orleans, LA)New Orleans Steamboat Company [3]
US (New York, NY) Coach USA
New Zealand InterCity [4]
Canada (Niagara, ON)Miagara Majestic Tours
US (Northern California)Autocares Julia, SL
OmanKurban Tours
US (Oregon)Road & Rail Travel, LLC
US (Orlando, FL)Gator Tours of Orlando, LLC
Canada (Ottawa, ON)Gray Line Ottawa
PanamaGray Line Panama
France (Paris) ParisCityVision
PeruViajes Pacífico [5]
PortugalCityrama
Canada (Prince Edward Island)Ambassatours
Puerto RicoCharter Coach Inc.
Puerto VallartaGray Line Los Cabos SA de CV
RomaniaGray Line Romania [6]
Italy (Rome)Carrani Tours
US (San Antonio, TX)Star Shuttle & Charter
US (Savannah, GA)Kelly Tours
ScotlandEdinburgh Coach Lines [7]
US (Seattle, WA)City Sightseeing Seattle
China (Shanghai)DTI Ltd.
SorrentoTravel Etc.
SpainAutocares Julia, SL
US (Tennessee)Gray Line of Tennessee / RLCL Acquisition, LLC
Australia (Tasmania)Experience Tasmania Tours
Canada (Toronto, ON)Gray Line Toronto
US (Tucson, AZ)Gray Line Tours
TurkeyPlan Tours
Canada (Vancouver, BC)Westcoast Sightseeing [8]
VenezuelaCandes Turismo
Italy (Venice)Park Viaggi S.R.L.
Canada (Victoria, BC)Pacific Coast Sightseeing
VietnamThreeland Travel [9]
US (Washington, DC) Martz Group [10]
UK (York) Golden Tours, [11] operated by York Pullman
Switzerland (Zurich)Hans Meier Tourist AG

References

  1. "Terms and Conditions".
  2. "BVB.net - Bus Verkehr Berlin - Bus mieten & mehr". BVB.net (in German). Retrieved 2020-09-02.
  3. "New Orleans' Only Steamboat | Steamboat NATCHEZ". www.steamboatnatchez.com. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
  4. "InterCity Group - About Gray Line". InterCity New Zealand. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  5. Viajes Pacífico
  6. Gray Line Romania. "Gray Line Romania | Sightseeing tours". www.grayline.ro. Retrieved 2017-02-24.
  7. Gray Line Scotland Archived 2014-10-11 at the Wayback Machine Edinburgh Coach Lines
  8. Westcoast Sightseeing
  9. "Best Tours to Vietnam, Indochina | Threeland Travel". Best Tours to Vietnam, Indochina | Threeland Travel. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
  10. Martz Group
  11. "Hop-on Hop-off York". Golden Tours. Retrieved 2020-07-31.