Our ability to cover vast distances in short amounts of time has revolutionized the very way we live our lives. No longer bound by geographical distinctions that would have once stopped our ancestors, we are able to routinely commute and travel around our world. This has changed everything from job opportunities to exciting travel destinations. Between ships, planes, trains, and automobiles, we as a species have perfected the art of travel and will continue to do so thanks to the exciting technological progresses that the future promises. All of this goes back to our roots and understanding how the need for travel was fulfilled before the modern age.
The History of Travel
Horses and wagons have been used since the dawn of human civilization as a rudimentary means of travel; while slow, the wagon did provide an opportunity for the rider to relax in comfort while traveling vast distances. By 1804 in London, England the first trains were opened up for public transit — this landmark in transportation helped to shape the future of travel as we know it today. By the 1820s horse-drawn buses were in use around the globe as a means for upper class citizens to travel in distinction. A decade later by the 1830s there were a number of intercity bus services powered by steam engines during the boom that was the Industrial Revolution. The first automobiles became available for the first time in 1908 thanks to Henry Ford’s Model T which was based off the advances of earlier inventors. By 1914 the world grew even smaller when the first commercial airlines started to emerge — the distances covered thanks to commercial airlines has allowed us to visit destinations that would have never been possible a century ago.
The Benefit of Motorcoach Use for the Environment
Motorcoaches are to this day one of the most environmentally friendly travel options. Motorcoaches currently provide over 206 passenger miles per gallon of fuel compared to the 82 passenger miles per gallon for commuter rail, the 44 passenger miles per gallon for domestic airplanes, and the 27 miles per gallon of fuel for single passenger vehicles on the road. Overall chartered buses account for 751,000,000 passenger trips taken annually and are three times more efficient in reducing carbon dioxide output when compared to commuter rail and even six times more efficient than transit buses. It is estimated that a fully-loaded chartered bus has the capacity to remove around 52 vehicles from the road. When looking for an eco-friendly vacation transportation option, consider a chartered bus.
Chartered Buses and their Impact on the Economy
Motorcoaches play a major role in the tourist economy which totals at over $1.2 billion in revenue from motorcoaches alone. Motorcoaches help influence tourism dollars in every community they stop in; a single motorcoach spending one night in a destination generates an estimated $11,660 for that local economy through lodging, meals, gifts, and other expenses. Furthermore, the motorcoach industry itself is made up of nearly 3,400 small businesses with the total industry fleet of chartered buses that provide tours, sightseeing, charters, airport shuttle, commuter, and scheduled services measuring in at 33,400 vehicles. Many chartered buses are stocked with amenities that include on-board restrooms, digital surround-sound, Wi-Fi, televisions, electrical outlets, as well as other non-standard additions.
