ABA Foundation’s First Canadian Economic Impact Study Finds Motorcoach Travel Generates $4.4 Billion

New research produced in partnership with Motor Coach Canada and the Ontario Motor Coach Association finds that motorcoach travel drives $4.4 billion in economic impact across Canada, supporting nearly 25,000 jobs.

The American Bus Association Foundation recently shared the release of its 2025 Motorcoach Economic Impact Report for Canada, conducted by Tourism Economics, which measures the full scope of the motorcoach industry—both group travel and scheduled service—and its contribution to the Canadian economy. The report was produced in partnership with Motor Coach Canada and the Ontario Motor Coach Association, reflecting a collaborative effort to document the scale, reach, and economic importance of motorcoach travel across Canada. All figures are in current (nominal) 2025 Canadian dollars.

The analysis found that motorcoach travel generated a total economic impact of $4.4 billion in 2025, supporting 24,947 full- and part-time jobs across the Canadian economy and generating $980 million in taxes for federal, provincial, and local governments.

Motorcoach travelers spent $2.3 billion in 2025 across transportation, lodging, food, recreation, and retail, and traveled an estimated 4.5 billion passenger kilometers (2.8 billion passenger miles). Every dollar of that direct spending generated $1.90 in total economic activity as it moved through supplier industries and employee households. The findings underscore the essential role motorcoaches play not just in tourism, but also in regional connectivity and affordable public transportation.

To put the sector in context, motorcoach travelers accounted for roughly 2% of the approximately $104 billion spent on tourism in Canada each year—close to $6 million every day—and about 1 in 70 of all jobs in Canada’s tourism economy. The industry operated a fleet of 1,425 motorcoaches in 2025.

“Canada is essential to the health of group travel in North America—connecting communities, supporting affordable travel and sustaining businesses on both sides of the border,” said Fred Ferguson, President & CEO of the American Bus Association. “ABA strongly supports our Canadian members, partners and the cross-border business relationships that tie our industries together. We are working jointly with Canadian leaders to find common ground, rebuild trust and strengthen the flow of travel and commerce between our countries. This new data gives us a shared evidence base to make that case — nearly 25,000 jobs and $4.4 billion in economic activity — and to show why continued collaboration matters.”

KEY FINDINGS

Key findings from the report include:

• $2.3 billion in direct spending by motorcoach travelers in 2025.
• $4.4 billion in total economic impact nationwide, including indirect and induced effects.
• 24,947 jobs supported across all sectors—from hospitality to retail to transportation.
• $1.5 billion in wages and salaries generated.
• $980 million in total tax revenue, with $489 million to provincial and local governments.

The analysis separates the two major components of the motorcoach sector:

• Group Travel: Generated $2.8 billion in total economic impact and 15,827 jobs.
• Scheduled Service: Generated $1.6 billion in total economic impact and 9,120 jobs.

Group travel accounts for roughly one-third of passenger kilometers but nearly two-thirds of direct spending, reflecting the hotel stays, meals, and destination spending that accompany charter and packaged-tour travel.

PROVINCIAL RESULTS

Alongside the national report, the ABA Foundation has released a provincial snapshot for each province and territory—a three-page infographic covering the total motorcoach impact plus separate breakdowns for group travel and scheduled service, with direct spending, passenger kilometers, jobs, wages, and provincial, local, and federal taxes.

Motorcoach travel’s economic impact reaches every province. Ontario recorded the largest at $1.40 billion in business sales supporting 7,871 jobs, followed by Alberta ($809 million, 3,898 jobs), Quebec ($795 million, 4,828 jobs), and British Columbia ($687 million, 3,748 jobs).

Lew Myers, the ABA Foundation’s Director of Research, Policy, and Impact, pointed to the study’s provincial detail.

“Canada is indispensable to the health of group travel in North America, and this research makes clear just how significant that contribution is,” Myers said, adding that the national numbers are powerful, but the local data is what gives communities, destinations and decision-makers something they can act on. “It shows where motorcoach travel supports jobs, visitor spending and businesses in their own markets. That gives us a stronger foundation to validate the industry’s economic importance, inform better infrastructure and investment decisions, strengthen advocacy on both sides of the border, and demonstrate that U.S. and Canadian travel economies are deeply connected. We strongly support our Canadian partners and the cross-border relationships that help this industry thrive.”

Readers can access the full report and the provincial snapshots on the ABA Foundation’s website. By providing detailed data and accessible tools, the ABA Foundation aims to inform industry members, policymakers, and the public about the significant role motorcoach travel in all forms plays in fueling economic development across Canada.

Courtesy of Groups Today.