City Sightseeing

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The City Sightseeing Logo

City Sightseeing bus in Stratford-upon-Avon

City Sightseeing in Newcastle is operated by Stagecoach North East

"Stonehenge Tour" livery bus, in Brighton on a rail replacement service

Hippo Tours operation in Singapore

A Leyland Atlantean AN68/1R with ECW bodywork, built in 1978, later converted to an open top bus for the City Sightseeing operation in Colchester.

A DAF DB250 double decker bus with Northern Counties Palatine II bodywork, new to Metrobus in 1995, converted to an open top bus for the Cambridge City Sightseeing Tour. Note non-standard offside centre door.

An Ayats Bravo bodied Volvo B7L, the first purpose built low floor open top bus, pictured in Stratford-upon-Avon tour colours

An example of a City Sightseeing ticket, this one from Glasgow

A City Sightseeing Bus in Sofia.

City Sightseeing is a global sightseeing bus brand, started by Ensignbus, which operates tour bus rides around various cities in the UK and worldwide.

Typically the tours consist of an open top double-decker bus. As the bus travels around the town or city, either pre-recorded or live commentary is provided. City Sightseeing buses are recognisable due to their distinctively decorated red livery. Tickets and offers are transferable between the worldwide tours.

[edit] Company history

With the sale of London Pride Sightseeing in 1998, Peter Newman stated his intention to introduce a global brand synonymous with sightseeing buses, as "Avis, McDonalds, Pepsi or Coca Cola" are to their products.

The City Sightseeing name goes back farther, Peter Newman had used it for a pair of ex-Standerwick 'Gay Hostess' Leyland Atlanteans on his City Coach Lines company which ran four times daily tours of London in 1972.

In 1998 Ensignbus revived the name and developed the red livery in the Spanish city of Seville, when it helped an established sightseeing operator relaunch itself with double-deckers using the experience and expertise developed with London Pride, and links forged through the sale of open top buses around the world through Ensigbuses vehicle business. It also did the same in Sydney, Australia.

City Sightseeing was then launched as a concept branding at the World Travel Market in 1999. Speaking in June 2000 about the franchise model, Newman stated:

Although we are coordinating and acting as provider for many of the things our operators will need, we are not dictating terms to them. This is a two way thing. We want to hear from them, about their experiences, challenges and solutions, just as much as offer advice form our own experience. It will put every one involved on to the tourist map with the benefit that it does not eradicate their trading names. We are not creating an entirely new force, just pulling together operators currently involved in this type of work.^[1]

In March 2000 the franchise model was initiated, with tours starting in Glasgow (Scotguide) and Canberra (Transborder). Startup operations would initially comprise a British manager until local staff were trained up.

In 2000 operations expanded in the UK at York Edinburgh and Bath, with Edinburgh's Lothian Buses introducing the first purpose built open top low floor buses. In 2001 operations expanded further in the UK, Spain and Australia, and into Copenhagen, Denmark. In 2002 operations in Alberta, Canada opened, and expanded in the UK. In 2003 operations started in Italy. In December 2000 the online booking system was introduced.

In May 2002 City Sightseeing acquired its biggest rival Guide Friday who ran from their base in Stratford-upon-Avon and operated tours across the UK and in some major European cities. Operations were either rebranded as City Sightseeing or absorbed into existing operators where Guide Friday had been a direct competitor. The acquisition brought City Sightseeing's operations up to nearly 70 cities worldwide with nearly 250 vehicles.

In 2003, Ciy Sightseeing broke new ground in the tour bus market with the introduction of the first purpose built sightseeing buses, Ayats Bravo City-bodied Volvo B7L double-deckers, featuring equipment specifically for tours and also being low floor, first in Spain and then in 2004 into the UK and around the world.

The company runs its own tours in Bath, and Stratford-upon-Avon where they also provide normal bus services.

[edit] Franchise model

The rapid growth of the City Sightseeing brand was due to the company being developed along the franchise model. Some operations are wholly owned by City Sightseeing, some are joint ventures, but the majority of tours are operated by franchisees, either existing bus operators in the locality or new companies, either rebranding existing vehicles or introducing new ones.

Operators have the choice of flexibility in how much or how little direct involvement with City Sightseeing company they have, and can choose vehicles and systems appropriate to themselves.

Through the franchise model, operators have access to group expertise to solve problems, and to providers of equipment such as off board ticketting, GPS linked commentary systems and vehicle refurbishers. They also have access to Ensignbuses expertise in tour vehicle modification. Operators can also take advantage of block negotiation with promotional partners that may not necessarily wish to deal with smaller operators.

As a minimum, the franchise operator must carry the City Sightseeing red base colour and graffiti style, they must use the global booking web-site, and a percentage of any revenue taken is returned to City Sightseeing.

Operators are free to apply a specific local branding within the red scheme, with local identities or the Guide Friday name retained if thought necessary.

The City Sightseeing brand is exhibited to operators around the world through the World Travel Trade Fair.