The American Bus Association Foundation (ABAF) recently released its Motorcoach Builders Survey for Q2 2022, which tracks the sales of the major motorcoach manufacturers based in the US and Canada. The trend indicates that these manufacturers continue to lose their footing on post-COVID recovery, as sales fell 9 percent below where they were during the same period of Q2 2021. This follows a positive Q1 2022, where sales were 11 percent higher than 2021.
According to the survey, “the participating manufacturers sold 284 new and 112 preowned coaches, for a total of 396 motorcoaches. This compares with 497 during the second quarter of 2021. In a reversal from the first quarter, the bulk of new coach sales were made to private companies such as charter companies and scheduled coach service providers. Private companies accounted for 64 percent of new coach sales. Prior to the COVID lockdowns, private motorcoach operators purchased an average of about 400 new coaches each quarter.”
The full report can be found here.
“The motorcoach industry is still struggling to recover from the COVID pandemic,” said ABAF President Peter Pantuso. “While tourism is rebounding, and charters have improved, huge segments of the industry, particularly commuter services; special services for field trips, school, and collegiate sporting events; and major spectator events are still operating at depressed levels.”
The association continues its advocacy for the motorcoach industry, which it calls the greenest and most affordable transportation sector as it moved more than 600 million passengers annually prior to the pandemic.
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[09.06.22]