Australasian integrated tourism and transport company Entrada Travel Group has announced the acquisition of coach company Greyhound Australia.
The family-owned Entrada Travel Group will take over Greyhound Australia and bring with it more than 30 years of rich experience in the coach transport industry.
Entrada Travel Group operates a diverse range of transport and tourism brands including New Zealand land-based passenger transport operator InterCity.
Entrada Travel Group CEO John Thorburn says Greyhound Australia is a natural addition to its growing transport network portfolio.
“Entrada is excited by the opportunity to bring the iconic and well-respected Greyhound brand into the family. Entrada’s skills and experience are highly complementary to Greyhound and we see opportunities to further invest in and enhance the business while respecting the rich history of the brand,” Thorburn says.
“We aim to build on Greyhound Australia’s reputation as one of the oldest and most famous coach and freight transport network providers in the world and take the business to new heights.”
Greyhound Australia recently announced a $3 million investment to build five new coaches, the first of which will be rolled out in March 2024.
“As part of our business strategy, we plan to complement this investment with a significant expansion of the fleet replacement program over the next five years,” Thorburn says.
“Building on the momentum the team has established coming out of the pandemic, we’re going to be firmly focused on enhancing customer comfort and lowering emissions with modern and efficient vehicles.”
Greyhound Australia CEO Dan Smith says the Australian long distance coach network would benefit from Entrada Travel Group’s experience and breadth in consistently delivering top quality, seamless passenger transport.
“The new ownership comes at an exciting period of growth for Greyhound Australia, the country’s only national coach operator, after we successfully rebuilt the business following the pandemic,” Smith says.
Both Entrada Travel Group and Greyhound Australia have a strong regional focus and connect to the heart of the country, serving as crucial links for towns, cities and communities. Jumping on a Greyhound is the preferred choice for hundreds of thousands of Australians who value the combination of value for money, comfort and breathtaking landscapes on their journeys.
Across the combined transport and tourism activities, Entrada will now carry more than 3.5 million passengers annually, including domestic and international passengers.
All staff will be retained, and the Greyhound Australia name and existing services will remain the same.
Entrada has existing successful operations in Australia including Tusa Reef Tours, Divers Den and Frankland Islands. It also operates the Daintree River Vehicle ferry and recently won a competitive tender to build and operate two large new vehicle ferries in Noosa.