Gray Line Worldwide is an international sightseeing company that consist of local sightseeing operators around the world. The company was founded in 1910 and operates worldwide through independent operators it calls "licensees" with a presence in most of the world's most popular sightseeing destinations. Gray Line does not provide sightseeing services directly, but rather provides its brand, promotional services and booking systems to licensees.[1] Gray Line is also the largest direct supplier of destination services to online travel sellers, wholesalers and travel agents.
 | |
| Founded | 1910 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 1541 N. Marion St, P.O. Box #18267 Denver, Colorado |
| Service area | Worldwide |
| Service type | Sightseeing Tours |
| Operator | 100+ licensees worldwide |
| Website | www |
History
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In March 1910, a young restaurateur called Louis Bush refurbished an old Mack Truck chassis, painted it blue and gray and began offering sightseeing tours around the city of Washington, D.C.
By 1926, Gray Line had expanded to other booming cities including New York, Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Francisco, as well as internationally to Toronto and Havana. With peacetime following World War II, Harry J. Dooley, a former Gray Line employee, acquired the company and helped re-establish Gray Line Chicago. Dooley soon became president of Gray Line and is today considered the father of the sightseeing industry.
With the advent of jet travel and increased gateways in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Dooley expanded Gray Line's market throughout the United States and established Gray Line companies in Canada, Mexico, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The sudden popularity growth in motorcoach sightseeing helped position Gray Line as a leader in the sightseeing industry.
The brand is currently managed from an office based in Denver, Colorado.
Gray Line has a presence in over 700 locations, spanning six continents, and is the largest sightseeing company in the world. In 2018 its carriers handled over 35 million passengers.
Licensees
edit| Location | Operator |
|---|---|
| Alaska | Holland America Group |
| Amsterdam | Blue Boat Company |
| Argentina | AV & MV SRL |
| Asheville | Asheville Trolley Company, LLC |
| Austria | Vienna Sightseeing Tours |
| Athens | Athens Open Tour |
| Australia | Driver Group |
| Beijing | DTI, Ltd. |
| Berlin | Bus Verkehr Berlin[2] |
| Boston | Brush Hill Tours |
| Branson | Thompson Transportation Group, LLC |
| Brazil | Brazil 4 You Operadora Receptiva |
| British Columbia | West Coast Sightseeing |
| Cancun | Mayaland Tours |
| Charleston | M&S Holding Co. |
| Chicago | Aries Charter |
| Chile | Chirak Tour |
| Colombia | Respresentaciones Irigoyen Vega Cia Ltd |
| Colorado | Colorado Tour Line |
| Costa Rica | Fantasy Tours |
| Croatia | Adriatic 4 You |
| Czech Republic | Bohemia Travel |
| Dominican Republic | Transporte Turistico F&S Tours |
| Ecuador | Combratur |
| Egypt | South Sinai Travel |
| Emirates | Kurban Tours |
| Florence | CAF Tours |
| Geneva | Keytours S.A. |
| Guatemala | Reuxtreme-Reustours |
| Halifax | Ambassatours |
| Hong Kong | Gray Line Tours of Hong Kong Limited |
| Hungary | Cityrama |
| Iceland | Gray Line Iceland |
| Indonesia | P.T. Regina Alta Panorama Tours |
| Ireland | The Dualway Group |
| Israel | Consolidated Tour Operators Ltd. |
| London | Golden Tours |
| Los Angeles | Gl Vegas, Inc. |
| Los Cabos | Gray Line Los Cabos SA de CV |
| Louisiana | New Orleans Steamboat Company |
| Macau | Gray Line Tours Hong Kong Limited |
| Malta | Supreme Travel |
| Melbourne | Driver Group Australia |
| Miami | Miami Incoming Services, LLC |
| Minneapolis | Schmitty & Sons Transit, Inc. |
| Montreal | Coach Canada |
| Morocco | Utess Voyages |
| Munich | Autobus Oberbayern |
| Myrtle Beach | Leisure Time Unlimited, Inc. |
| New Orleans | New Orleans Steamboat Company[3] |
| New York | Coach USA |
| New Zealand | InterCity[4] |
| Niagara, Ontario | Miagara Majestic Tours |
| Northern California | Autocares Julia, SL |
| Oman | Kurban Tours |
| Oregon | Road & Rail Travel, LLC |
| Orlando | Gator Tours of Orlando, LLC |
| Ottawa | Gray Line Ottawa |
| Panama | Gray Line Panama |
| Paris | ParisCityVision |
| Peru | Viajes Pacífico[5] |
| Portugal | Cityrama |
| Prince Edward Island | Ambassatours |
| Puerto Rico | Charter Coach Inc. |
| Puerto Vallarta | Gray Line Los Cabos SA de CV |
| Romania | Gray Line Romania[6] |
| Rome | Carrani Tours |
| San Antonio | Star Shuttle & Charter |
| Savannah | Kelly Tours |
| Scotland | Edinburgh Coach Lines[7] |
| Seattle | City Sightseeing Seattle |
| Shanghai | DTI Ltd. |
| Sorrento | Travel Etc. |
| Spain | Autocares Julia, SL |
| Tennessee | Gray Line of Tennessee / RLCL Acquisition, LLC |
| Tasmania | Experience Tasmania Tours |
| Toronto | Gray Line Toronto |
| Tucson | Gray Line Tours |
| Turkey | Plan Tours |
| Vancouver | Westcoast Sightseeing[8] |
| Venezuela | Candes Turismo |
| Venice | Park Viaggi S.R.L. |
| Victoria, British Columbia | Pacific Coast Sightseeing |
| Vietnam | Threeland Travel[9] |
| Washington, DC | Martz Group[10] |
| York | Golden Tours,[11] operated by York Pullman |
| Zurich | Hans Meier Tourist AG |
References
edit- ^ "Terms and Conditions".
- ^ "BVB.net - Bus Verkehr Berlin - Bus mieten & mehr". BVB.net (in German). Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ "New Orleans' Only Steamboat | Steamboat NATCHEZ". www.steamboatnatchez.com. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ "InterCity Group - About Gray Line". InterCity New Zealand. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
- ^ Viajes Pacífico
- ^ Gray Line Romania. "Gray Line Romania | Sightseeing tours". www.grayline.ro. Retrieved 2017-02-24.
- ^ Gray Line Scotland Archived 2014-10-11 at the Wayback Machine Edinburgh Coach Lines
- ^ Westcoast Sightseeing
- ^ "Best Tours to Vietnam, Indochina | Threeland Travel". Best Tours to Vietnam, Indochina | Threeland Travel. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
- ^ Martz Group
- ^ "Hop-on Hop-off York". Golden Tours. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
External links
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