Big Bus Tours, the largest global operator of premium open-top sightseeing tours, is delighted to announce its acquisition of Boston-based business Smart Destinations, which produces the popular Go City Card attraction passes.

Smart Destinations' Go City Card passes provide entry into over 400 attractions across 13 of the world's most visited cities, including many where Big Bus Tours operate, such as London, Chicago and New York City. With a very strong overlap in their target audience of customers, this new relationship marks a significant step forward in the company's journey to become the leading force in sightseeing in world-famous cities.

Pat Waterman, CEO of Big Bus Tours comments: “This latest acquisition for Big Bus Tours is truly a significant one. Smart Destinations is the leader in the attraction pass category, offering customers unbeatable value for money, access to some of the best attractions in the world and a very easy way to buy and redeem passes. Smart Destinations' ambitions to extend their presence around the world only make this purchase all the more exciting!”

Smart Destinations offers great benefits to tours and attractions whether large or small. Their online expertise and global reach bring new customers from all over the world, and their patented validation system provides the convenience of end-to-end mobile ticketing.   For travel agents and trade partners they offer an excellent product to sell through to their own customers, with a very strong consumer proposition and good margins.                                                     

Ted Stimpson, CEO of Smart Destinations adds “this purchase combines two great companies, both committed to maximising the in-destination experience of travelling consumers. Big Bus Tours is the perfect introduction to a city, guiding guests to the key places of interest. Go City Card passes provide a convenient and cost effective way to pay for admission to those same top attractions.  Together, we will deliver you to the gate and through the turnstile of the top paid attractions of the world!”

For more information visit www.bigbustours.com

-ENDS-

Notes to editor:

Big Bus Tours is the largest operator of open-top sightseeing tours in the world, providing sightseeing tours in 18 cities across three continents. 2016 marks Big Bus Tours' Silver Jubilee milestone. The family-owned business commenced operations in London in June 1991 with a fleet of just three buses which have since been expanded to a fleet of 400 buses in cities such as Abu Dhabi, Budapest, Dubai, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Muscat, Paris, Rome, Vienna and various destinations across the USA.  As Big Bus began its journey, Les Cars Rouges in Paris also started to build a strong business, with the two merging in 2011 to create a single unified company. In February 2015, private equity firm Exponent purchased Big Bus Tours, with a shared vision to develop the company into the most recognizable brand in sightseeing. This year Merlin Entertainments PLC became a shareholder, offering a natural synergy with Big Bus Tours and Merlin attractions and experiences globally. Big Bus Tours' sightseeing formula has been designed to provide a flexible approach to city discovery. Each open-top bus tour provides a hop-on, hop-off facility at a variety of interesting locations and, wherever possible, Big Bus Tours looks to enhance the visitor sightseeing experience by providing complementary experiences. The Big Bus Tours app can be downloaded at www.bigbustours.com/app

Smart Destinations produces the popular Go City Card multi-attraction passes that maximize the fun, savings, and convenience of sightseeing with flexible purchase options for every type of traveller. Available online and at walk-up retail outlets, Go City Cards provide admission to more than 400 attractions across multiple popular tourist destinations, including Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Oahu, Orlando, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. Go City Card passes include admission to most popular tourist attractions, such as the Madame Tussauds, world famous San Diego Zoo, the Empire State Building Observatory, the Kennedy Space Center, and hundreds more. Travelers can choose from several different types of passes to fit their needs including All-Inclusive Passes, Explorer Passes and Build Your Own Passes. All passes come with valuable extras, including the ability to skip the line at select attractions and comprehensive city guides that offer insider tips and bonus discounts on shopping and dining. Go City Card passes leverage the company's patented technology and the industry's largest network of attraction partners to save consumers up to 55% compared to purchasing individual tickets at the gate. www.smartdestinations.com

Media information:

Contact: Polly Beech / Sarah Barnett

Email: polly@blackdiamond.co.uk / sarah@blackdiamond.co.uk  Tel: 020 7845 6359 / 020 7845 6378