Starr Tours began its long history in 1947 with two transit buses that provided route service between Trenton and Hightstown, NJ. It was from these early beginnings that Starr grew to become one of the largest privately owned tour and motorcoach companies in America.
The 50s era was responsible for Starr’s growth of its charter fleet as air-conditioning and on-board lavatories were introduced into its fleet of modern coaches. Tours for groups and individuals were introduced in the 60s with the New York World’s Fair and several new and exciting long distance vacation and sightseeing bus trips.
In 1969, Gilbert Sussman, Starr’s founder passed away and the business was eventually taken over and run by Gil’s son-in-law, Alan Glickman and Gil’s son, Mitchell Sussman.
When Atlantic City casinos revolutionized the motorcoach industry in the late seventies, Starr was the leader and its fleet grew larger. The 80s and 90s gave Starr travelers more than motorcoach transportation with the introduction of fly and cruise vacations. Starr quickly became one of the largest operators of daily excursions and vacation trips in the United States.
In late 2008, after 60 years, the decision was made to drop the “Tours” off the name and be formally called “Starr.” This was exciting as our company name finally matched the name that travels millions of miles on our coaches each year. Additionally, at this time, Starr was thrilled to consolidate both the Trenton, NJ Tour and Transit divisions into a newly renovated headquarters. This merger allowed our team to strengthen communications and execution to provide the best travel product.
In 2015, Starr was awarded the coveted International Motorcoach Group (IMG) Operator of the Year. IMG operators nominate companies that they believe represent the core values of IMG – customer service excellence, commitment to safety, maintenance and training plus participate actively not only in IMG but the wider motorcoach industry.
Between 2018 and 2021, Starr experienced significant growth, solidifying its position as a leader in the travel industry. During this period, the company expanded its tour offerings and strengthened its reach by acquiring Seniortours and assuming control of Eyre Tours in Maryland. Additionally, Starr introduced College Break Bus, catering to college students and universities, and has grown the overall motorcoach market by taking more cars off the roads and growing rideshare.
The year 2020 posed unprecedented challenges with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Starr demonstrated resilience and adaptability, weathering the storm and emerging even stronger. Through thoughtful measures like Starr’s virtual Tour Tuesday program to customer-centric approaches, and a commitment to safety, Starr not only navigated the challenges posed by the pandemic but also used this period as an opportunity to enhance its services, ensuring a triumphant return to tour and travel by bus.
Today, Starr is one of the largest family-owned bus companies in the United States. Alan and Renee Glickman turned over ownership and leadership to Sandy and Peter Borowsky, the Glickman’s daughter and son-in-law. Today, Sandy and Pete operate the business with the help of over seventy-five employees. Now into its 3rd generation of ownership, Starr continues to serve the mid-Atlantic states with the highest level of service in the travel industry.
