Big Bus expands into Dublin with Irish City Tours

Big Bus Tours launched operations in Dublin last week, the 20th city in its global portfolio. The group has acquired the Dualway Group’s Dublin based hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tour operated by Irish City Tours.

Founded in 1979 by Tony McConn, the Dualway Group started open top sightseeing in Dublin in 1994, and was one of the founder members of City Sightseeing in 2000. It acquired Guide Friday tours in Dublin in 2003, and continues to expand into various other transport operations, now led by the second generation of the family. It is not clear yet whether other Sightseeing operations will pass over to Big Bus.

In the city, it continues to compete with established tours of Dublin Bus, a subsidiary of  Córas Iompair Éireann, the state owned transport company. At Big Bus the existing management remains in place, led by Managing Director David McConn.

Alex Payne, Big Bus Tours chief executive, said: “Dublin is a world class tourism destination that is seeing strong growth in visitor numbers year on year. Irish City Tours already run an excellent operation and it is an exciting time to acquire such a professionally run business, which has been successfully showcasing the Emerald Isle’s capital city to visitors since the 1990s.”