For Indian travellers, the iconic double-decker hop-on hop-off bus is synonymous with London having being featured in various film productions and commercial projects over the years. Being a key attraction, and with surging growth, Big Bus Tours has made inroads into India with Auxilia Networks. Shane Mayer, VP Global Partnerships, Big Bus Tours, spoke to Disha Shah Ghosh to share their B2B strategy and fleet expansion plans.
London is one of the popular cities for Indian travellers, and the Big Bus Tours are key attractions. In that context, how important is India as a source market for you in terms of pecking order, globally?
India is an incredibly important market for Big Bus Tours, both in terms of current performance and future potential. With its vast population and growing middle class, India presents a tremendous opportunity for outbound travel. As more Indian travellers explore international destinations, we’ve noticed consistent interest in iconic cities like London, Paris, Dubai, and New York — all of which are part of our network. In response to this growing demand, we’re now making a serious, long-term investment to ensure we’re not only present in the market, but actively growing our brand recognition and deepening our relationships with Indian travel partners.
From a global perspective, India is rapidly rising in the pecking order as a source market. While traditional Western markets remain strong, the momentum and growth trajectory we see from India positions it as one of our top emerging markets. Our strategy now includes dedicated local representation and a tailored approach to the preferences and travel behaviours of Indian customers. We are committed to becoming a household name among Indian travellers looking for memorable, convenient sightseeing experiences abroad.
What made you appoint Auxilia Networks as your partner in India at this juncture? What outreach activities will be undertaken as part of this partnership?
We chose to partner with Auxilia Networks because we see them as a natural extension of our internal team. They bring not only strong industry relationships, but also a clear understanding of how to communicate our brand in the Indian context. Auxilia has deep roots in the Indian travel trade and a solid reputation for building meaningful partnerships — which aligns perfectly with our goals in the region.
The partnership will focus on a multi-pronged approach to outreach. Auxilia will be doing everything our core team does in other markets: developing relationships with top travel agents, tour operators, OTAs, and wholesalers. Beyond this, they will be instrumental in leading our brand-building efforts — helping position Big Bus Tours as the sightseeing partner of choice for Indian travellers. These outreach activities will include B2B engagement, organising trade roadshows, collaborating on marketing campaigns, and providing destination training and sales enablement tools to our travel partners. The goal is to build awareness and drive conversion, ensuring Indian travellers are not only aware of Big Bus Tours, but actively seek us out when planning their trips.
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In terms of trade engagement, what plans have been chalked out?
We’re very enthusiastic about the level of trade engagement we’ve seen so far. We recently participated in OTM (Outbound Travel Mart) for the first time, and it was a resounding success. It gave us direct access to a broad spectrum of industry professionals and allowed us to introduce or reintroduce Big Bus Tours to a large number of travel agents and tour operators across India. Based on this positive experience, we are actively considering additional participation in future trade shows and travel industry events throughout India.
One of the key strengths of our partnership with Auxilia is their established presence and relationships within the Indian travel trade. Their network is extensive, and they bring deep insight into the market. They will take the lead on educating their contacts about our offerings — not just product details, but also how to position Big Bus Tours as a premium, value-added sightseeing option in international packages. We are also exploring how to increase our visibility in trade media, which will help further our reach and credibility.
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Besides London, which other cities are popular among Indians to opt for Big Bus Tours?
In addition to London, which remains a perennial favourite, we’ve seen strong demand from Indian travellers for our services in Paris, Dubai, Singapore, and New York. These cities are consistently among the top international destinations for Indian tourists, and our hop-on, hop-off model works especially well in these urban centres where there’s so much to see and do in a short span of time. Big Bus offers the flexibility to explore at one’s own pace, with informative audio guides in multiple languages, making it a perfect fit for the Indian market, which often values convenience, comfort, and well-structured sightseeing experiences.
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What is your fleet expansion/refurbishment plan?
We’re excited to share that we recently launched operations in Vancouver, marking another milestone in our global expansion. Looking ahead, we plan to add another European city to our network within this quarter. Our strategy remains focused on expanding our global footprint, especially in cities that offer strong tourism demand and align with our operational strengths.
Simultaneously, we’re committed to modernising and future-proofing our fleet. Sustainability is a core pillar of our long-term vision. Paris is already operating with a fully electric fleet, and we intend to replicate that success in other cities over time. This transition to electric vehicles not only reduces our carbon footprint but also enhances the customer experience by offering quieter, smoother rides. The move aligns with global environmental goals and positions us as a forward-thinking leader in the sightseeing industry.
How are you tapping the film tourism segment in India that has used your fleet for productions in the past?
We’re very proud of our collaborations with the film and entertainment industry, particularly those from India. Our iconic buses have featured in various Bollywood productions and other creative projects over the years. These partnerships are not just good exposure for our brand, but also highlight the unique visual appeal and recognisability of our fleet.
We remain very open and enthusiastic about continuing to work with Indian production houses and related industries — whether it’s for films, music videos, commercials, or promotional events. Our fleet is available for private charter, and we can customise experiences to meet the needs of film crews and producers. This segment offers exciting brand synergies and further connects us to Indian audiences through pop culture.
