Minibus operator Go Cotswolds is celebrating a 75% rise in passenger volume for its guided tours.
The family-run firm welcomed 6,300 guests last year and has already reached half the volume of 2023’s bookings before the end of March this year.
Operating from pick-up points in Stratford-upon-Avon and Moreton-in-Marsh, Go Cotswolds receives 95% of its custom from overseas and has hosted guests from 79 countries.
Specialising in fun tours to the Cotswolds, the business was established 11 years ago by Tom and Lisa Benjamin.
Tom said: “The social media reels of pretty Cotswold villages, combined with popular TV shows such as Clarkson’s Farm, Rivals and Downton Abbey are undoubtedly driving demand from overseas – and for us it is about having the capacity to meet this demand.
“Last year we invested around £100,000 in a new minibus to expand our fleet to four buses, and we have also recruited and trained three new driver guides to take our team of guides to eight to cater for the rising demand.
“Lisa and I initially started Go Cotswolds borne from our passion for independent travel and an adventurous spirit that we wanted to pass on to others, so to see where the business is now is a dream come true.”
Tom, who plays village cricket for his local team Temple Grafton, told Punchline-Gloucester.com that his idea to launch a tour business around the Cotswolds was originally inspired by playing cricket in lovely places such as Stanway, Blockley and Chipping Campden.
“That was the Cotswolds I knew so I created this tour based on the villages and towns where we used to stop for a beer after away games. We focus mainly on the north Cotswolds. Our main tour is what we call ‘Cotswolds in a Day’ and includes stops in Bibury, Chipping Campden, Snowshill and Stow-on-the-Wold. That tour is the one that really resonates with international visitors.
“We also do a ‘Secret Cotswolds’ tour and one including Bath and southern Cotswolds so we’ve started to venture a little bit further afield.
“The Cotswolds is such a popular destination these days. Our introduction to it coincided with a huge spike in interest with the area. It seems to be the place to go for people visiting London who want to see a little bit of the countryside. We would love to do more places that are not so well known. There are so many different places we’d like to take folks to that are quieter.”
He added: “When we started in 2014, it was just me and a clapped-out old transit and fast forward to now we’ve got four purpose-built Mercedes Sprinters.
“Before Covid we bought our second minibus and then obviously we went down into lockdown and we had to press pause for two-and-a-half years until international visitors really started piling back in and since 2023 we’ve seen a big spike in visitors and we’ve been trying to satisfy that demand so we’ve actually taken on five members of staff.”
The business recently received a visit from Manuela Perteghella, MP for Stratford-upon-Avon, to mark English Tourism Week.
Ms Perteghella says: “Go Cotswolds is not only showcasing the beauty of our region to visitors from around the world but also creating jobs and investment in our local community.
“Their success story is a testament to the hard work and passion of independent businesses, and I’m delighted to support them during English Tourism Week.”
