Bailey Bus is lending out a bus to spread the word about York County, Pennsylvania.
York County has a grant program for companies that help promote local tourism. John Bailey, the owner of Bailey Bus, a United Motorcoach Association Member in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, has frequently applied for these grants and puts the funds toward creating bus wraps promoting important local causes.
One such cause is the bus wrap for “Explore York,” which is a promotional tool at Explore York, the local convention and visitors bureau, such as FAM trips. The wrap also serves as a mobile billboard when the bus goes out of state. The convention bureau even offers to send a swag bag to those who post a photo of the bus as it travels through the U.S. and Canada.
Other Bailey Bus wraps have supported the United Way’s Day of Caring, the Rotary fight against polio, Gold Star Family, and Revolution, the local baseball team. The next one will be related to UNICEF.
“It’s very important to me to help York organizations. I believe in making a positive impact,” Bailey said.
Community supporter
York-based graphics company Imagineered Signs has created most of the wraps for Bailey, which are valued at $6,000 to $8,000. That company also has a strong community spirit. For example, it donated a wrap used by Bailey for a Veteran’s Day caravan bus trip to Arlington Cemetery.
“At Thanksgiving, we even donated a free bus to a certified nonprofit which helps with emergencies such as floods or fires, hurricanes, etc.,” Bailey said.
They were very grateful because previously they had to haul everything in vans and cars.
Bailey comes from a long line of travel professionals. In 1933, his uncle began a York travel agency. One of his first group trips was to the 1933-34 World’s Fair in Chicago.
“In 1949, when my father returned from serving his country in WWII, he joined his brother Glenn to form Bailey travel service. I founded Bailey Coach, the motorcoach company, in 1998,” Bailey said.
His father also once led the York Tourism Bureau. Today, Bailey remains very active in promotions with the York convention and visitors bureau and the Rotary.
