NYC Sightseeing Buses Flounder Without Guides

Crain's recently published an article entitled "Tour buses chart new course as the industry awaits a comeback". The author spoke with several former double-decker guides, including GANYC member Fred Pflantzer.

The article begins, "As operators wait for international tourism to bounce back, many of the buses have disappeared from the cityscape. The ones that remain offer scantier services, such as fewer routes and no more live tour guides—once a major draw for tourists." It should also be clarified here that, while tourism numbers are still noticeably below pre-pandemic levels worldwide, this Summer has been huge for tourism, with New York seeing a faster recovery than most other US cities. Every day, GANYC sees photos and stories of its members out there with steady work. As one example, the article notes "the weekend of July 16, Times Square averaged 420,000 people per day—almost 10% higher than the similar weekend in 2019".

Why have double-decker tours not recovered as rapidly as walking tours, boat tours, or other attractions and experiences? We believe it is the lack of a live guide... it has now become a very lifeless experience. Recent TripAdvisor reviews for the various companies confirm that many customers agree.

It should also be noted that, despite switching to prerecorded audio and removing the live guide experience (a big cost-saver for these companies), those savings have not been passed down to the consumer.

The article thankfully also details how integral a live guide was to making double-decker bus tours a safe experience for all. Big Bus downplayed that in speaking to the reporter, but the piece notes "drivers now carry an additional burden, as they now field customers’ questions in addition to driving," and "On a recent Big Bus ride, a Crain’s staff member noted that the vehicle’s driver stopped the bus a handful of times and came to the upper level to deliver information about interesting points along the route."

Finally, we should note that Big Bus continues to operate with live guides in almost every other city they operate in... just not in the country's largest city and top tourist destination. This does not represent our city well. After all, you cannot ask a recording questions. A recording cannot share tips unique to each bus's crowd, and to each route. A recording cannot assist passengers with changing traffic conditions, or weather. A recording cannot make you feel at home. Travelers deserve better. They deserve a human experience when they visit New York.

The former City Council had explicitly promised representatives from GANYC that, before the end of the session this past December, they would finally vote on the long-delayed safety legislation to guarantee a live guide on the top of double-deckers. That promise was broken. With a new Council this year, GANYC will continue to advocate for the reintroduction of this bill, and to ensure the city treats this industry with the seriousness it deserves.