The American Bus Association (ABA) Foundation has released its 2025 Motorcoach Economic Impact Report, conducted by Tourism Economics. This report, 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 US.
The expanded analysis revealed that motorcoach travel generated a total economic impact of $158 billion in 2024, supporting over 890,000 full- and part-time jobs across the U.S. economy and yielding $27.7 billion in taxes for federal, state, and local governments.
Impact of the Report
The report highlights that motorcoach travelers spent $69.8 billion last year, encompassing transportation, lodging, food, recreation, and retail — reflecting both the private charter/group travel market, as well as 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 ABA President/CEO Fred Ferguson. “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."
Lew Myers, the ABA Foundation’s director of research, policy, and impact, echoed the importance of the data in understanding and advocating for the industry.
“These strong economic impact numbers demonstrate a thriving industry that continues to grow. Motorcoach and group travel are truly the backbone of our nation’s transportation network,” he said. “I’m excited about the research being conducted at the Foundation, its impact on driving policy, and the role motorcoach’s will have on the mega-decade ahead.”
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 are 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 primary 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.
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.
The 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 enables 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, according to the ABA.
By clicking on an interactive map of the US, visitors can view state-specific summaries and statistics for 2024, including the business sales, jobs supported, wages, and tax revenue generated in each state.
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.
