Tourists take pictures as they tour downtown San Antonio from the top deck of a City Sightseeing San Antonio bus in October. Florida-based Historic Tours of America Inc. has acquired City Sightseeing and is rebranding it as Old Town Trolley Tours.
Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-NewsHistoric Tours of America Inc., which bills itself as the largest operator of themed sightseeing vehicles in the United States, has acquired and is rebranding City Sightseeing San Antonio, which is known for its red double-decker buses that take tourists around town.
Historic Tours, which is based in Key West, Fla., said it will refashion City Sightseeing as Old Town Trolley Tours with orange and green “stadium-style” trolleys that, beginning March 1, will take patrons on a 90-minute narrated tour with 14 stops.
It’s unclear what Historic Tours paid to buy the business.
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“The timing could not have been more perfect,” Historic Tours CEO Chris Belland said in a statement. “We have been looking to expand, and the opportunity presented itself in this amazing city.”
Besides trolleys, Historic Tours operates street trains, a ferry, themed retail stores and other tourist attractions in other cities. The company offers tours in Key West; Boston; Washington, D.C.; Savannah, Ga.; St. Augustine, Fla.; San Diego; and Nashville, Tenn.
David Strainge started City Sightseeing in 2019 with $300,000 borrowed from his family.
He had…
