Mr. Schwieterman says expense-account travel is "an emerging business" for the bus industry.

WSJ: At Least the Price Is Right

Mr Parker said that with the bus industry already facing challenging times, the firm would expect staff to help grow the business rather than "undermining efforts" by calling a strike.

BBC: First Cymru bus strike vote on Monday in south and west Wales

Though the big shopping budgets of many Chinese tourists are sustaining the growth of the luxury-goods industry, the bus tours that escort most middle-class Chinese tourists in Europe usually book them into budget motels on the outskirts of Paris.

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Sure, he could connect with New York's fashion industry execs and investors via bus rides from the Sixth Borough, but that's a three-hour trip!

WSJ: New York: Techie Magnet

In a testament to the power of the invisible hand, the rough-and-tumble success of the Chinese bus lines is attracting new competitors, and the industry is becoming less dodgy in the process.

ECONOMIST: Innovation brings emulation