::Date: 2 June 2000
City Sightseeing - developing a global brand
by Martin Cole
Since Peter Newman sold London Pride Sightseeing, he along with sons Ross and
Steve has been very busy working on a global marketing strategy to develop city
sightseeing tours worldwide, under the common City Sightseeing banner. City
Sightseeing's management team has been strengthened with the appointment, last
week, of Terry Gabriel from Big Bus Company as marketing director. Terry is
respected for his knowledge of sightseeing operation and his reputation for
adept at getting things done.
The City Sightseeing name was chooses to reflect the exact nature of the business
and is the branding under which the company operates its own sightseeing operations
in Seville and Sydney - not to mention other countries that are to come on-stream
in the near future. Peter Newman said, " City Sightseeing tours remain the one
substantial area of tourism that is still extremely fragmented. What we are
proposing, to selected operators, is that their organisations band together
under the City Sightseeing banner and offer a universally recognised product
for tourists in major cities around the world.
Essentially, the brand will become a generic term for open-top or sightseeing
tourism - with the familiarity enjoyed by companies like Avis, McDonalds, Pepsi
or Coca Cola. The advantages for those involved in the scheme are many. City
Sightseeing has organised a number of seals, most of which remain under wraps
for the time being, that will offer incentives and discounts to tourists booking
sightseeing tours with a City Sightseeing operator. Tickets are to be made available
through the Internet and can be waiting at a customers hotel, an airline check-in
desk, or mailed direct to their home. Major organisations will be promoting
City Sightseeing tours as part of their service packages and giving customers
the chance to book their tours will in advance.
Customer loyalty schemes will also operate, giving passengers that retain their
tickets and show them in another city, the chance to obtain discount on tickets
there too. Ticket sales are likely to be coupled with other special offers that
could include deals like free portions of chips with a meal or a free desert
with a burger from a leading fast food chain or similar supplier.
Having a wealth of experience from operating sightseeing tours in London, Peter
is offering operators that are prepared to join City Sightseeing all the expertise
and support they need to develop a successful operation. This means assistance
in terms of advise, I installation of long or short term management - capable
of developing an operating structure, provision of suitable vehicles (through
Ensign bus Sales) and the chance to purchase all the special equipment needed
at beneficial rates. As the co-ordinating body, City Sightseeing undertakes
to bulk purchase for its members. This will lead to substantial reductions in
the cost f uniforms, ticketing equipment, multi-lingual commentary systems,
seating fabric, graphics and other items - obtaining the benefits or small operators
that only large groups usually command.
The operators interested under City Sightseeing's branding have shown their
excitement and commitment by attending an unscripted conference, at short notice,
at a venue n Essex. Visitors from around the world were openly enthusiastic
about the potential of the scheme. Some, unable to make it themselves from Asia
and the Far East, had nominated other companies to represent their interests
and every major continent was represented.
There are no hard and fast rules placed on members to the scheme. They can operate
what vehicles they like and employ whatever systems they feel suit their own
situation best. Collectively the group can find solutions to certain problems.
For example: operators in some cities belonging to the former Eastern Bloc had
major reservations about the safety of open-top double deckers - because of
the overhead power cables employed by trams. It was thought that if tourists
on the top deck stood up to take photographs they ran a great risk of electrocution
from arcing current. To counter this and allay fears of accidents, Peter Newman
with the approval of these operators, has sourced a number of left-hand drive
DAF service buses from Holland. These are to be fitted with a raised floor.
The result will be a high platform providing an open top environment that is
lower than a conventional double decker but higher than the floor in a coach.
Founder members joining the City Sightseeing brand will face no costs in belonging
to the organisation. They are asked to purchase their graphics from the commercial
artist that produced the design, but even these have been priced below what
operators normally expect t o pay. Those joining after the end of this year
will be asked to contribute 1 % of turnover.
Already UK operators have joined the scheme with Peter Dew's City Sightseeing
operations getting under way in York. Glasgow is already considering expanding
its fleet and Lothian is intending to come aboard with new open-toppers in Edinburgh.
Those with established names do not have to lose their identity, but they do
have to paint their buses red and carry the recognised graphics. Their own name
can still be incorporated into their livery. The big news is that Arriva has
agreed to come on-board through its 'Original Tour' operation and, from 1 July,
it will commence City Sightseeing operation at a major tourist attraction.
Peter Newman commented, ' It is inevitable that we will tread on a few toes
but t we have given every one we consider appropriate the opportunity of being
a part of City Sightseeing. Those that want to carry on as they are can do so,
but they will face competition that is enjoying the benefit of an international
branding and with reduced overheads. That is, of course, their choice, and for
whatever reasons they have for remaining totally independent, we have to respect
that. Some operators have asked not to join but were not considered to be sufficiently
appropriate.
He continued, 'We first forwarded the concept at the World Travel Trace Fair,
six months ago, when we took a stand with a double-decker in City Sightseeing
livery. There was tremendous interest from around the world from those with
sufficient interest from around the world form those with sufficient vision
to see the potential. We have come a long way since then and things are rolling
forward at a tremendous pace.
' Attending the conference were a number of potential suppliers that, through
experience Peter Newman believed would have suitable products to assist members.
Almex demonstrated the capability of its portable ticketing equipment, suitable
for on-board fare collection or ticket issue by pavement staff. John Holdsworth
& Co expounded the merits of mocette fabrics for seat covering and Sharps Freeman
presented new range of attractive uniforms in high-quality materials that had
already proven their durability in service. Espro, producers of solid-state
multi-lingual commentary systems, demonstrated their equipment and gave details
of the latest development, due shortly, that will be controlled by GPS satellites.
This will mean the driver has no need to programme in different running orders
or commentary segments should the bus switch routes or be diverted for some
reason. The system will recognise its exact location and give the appropriate
commentary at all times.
City Sightseeing recognises not all operations in all cities will have the same
requirements. Running 20 vehicles in Sydney, and 70 in Australia as a whole,
will obviously require a different regime to someone with six buses in Glasgow.
Short summer seasons experienced in Scotland, as with Scandinavian cities like
Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki will not justify major expense on technology,
but the benefits of a common branding will assist them in maximising their potential
from the annual influx of tourists. Scottish delegates pointed out that Edinburgh
hosted five times the number of visitors that Glasgow attracted - hence the
vast differences in earning potential. Peter added, "We have to make City Sightseeing
tours both a 'fun' and 'interesting' experience. Not many large operating companies
can adopt this type of operations because you can generally take the common
rules of bus operation and just turn them on their head. 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.
" The move has much merit and it seems all that become part of it stand to benefit.
One operator said that he had tried to negotiate package deals with rail companies
but was considered too small to be of any interest. Replaced small operator
with City Sightseeing and the other parties are ready and willing to talk. The
result of en-bloc negotiation means there is potential for increase sales across-the-board
- thus everyone in the organisation benefits.
and cities."