“This year around 525,000 buses will be constructed in the entire world; by 2018 this number will already have increased to 600,000 buses and coaches”
Busworld 2015 had more visitors every day than in 2013 and has broken all existing records. Kortrijk has once again confirmed its reputation as the number-one fair for buses and coaches WORLDWIDE. Talking about worldwide: next year Busworld International will be organising fairs in Istanbul (Turkey), Moscow (Russia), Bengaluru (India) and Beijing (China). Other fairs will be held as well, including in Medellín in Columbia, Uzbekistan or Kazakhstan and Indonesia. Didier Ramoudt, president of Busworld International, has busy times ahead of him. He has to start looking for strategic partners and begin contract negotiations in the respective countries. Ramoudt: “The world is globalising and so is the bus and coach sector. Constructors and suppliers are looking for solutions across national boundaries. Today, I see that a limited number of actors are dominating the market and are represented on a worldwide level. Everybody wants to conquer the world.” For the president of Busworld International the explanation for this evolution is self-evident. “The population is growing. It is expected that the transport will be growing exponentially as well. This year around 525,000 buses will be constructed in the entire world; by 2018 this number will already have increased to 600,000 buses and coaches. This does not only have to do with the growing population but also with the after-sales and replacement market. A lot more vehicles will have to be replaced. This opens perspectives for the constructors.” Busworld International does not want to miss this train – or should we say bus – and is already making preparations in order to organise a fair in Indonesia, most likely in Jakarta. The same evolution is going on in the former Soviet republics. There, Busworld International wants to be active in Uzbekistan or Kazakhstan. The preparations are in full progress. In Columbia Busworld International has already advanced a bit further. There, before the end of the year, an agreement on the organisation of a fair in Medellín will be signed. By the way, it is said that Latin America has a bright future ahead with regard to buses and coaches thanks to the large population there and the lack of extended train networks or alternative means of transport. The team of Busworld International is facing busy times. And it is important that you do not wait any longer to register: putting off your participation in order to save money is like stopping your watch in order to save time.