It’s not just air and cruise travel recovering – Rail Europe has shared its confidence that train travel across Europe, particularly with Eurostar, will reach 2019 figures in 2023.
With the premium train’s Australian sales figures currently sitting at 175% above budget, Rail Europe’s general manager for Asia and Pacific, Richard Leonard, says the correlation between increased airline capacity in Europe and the high-performing sales figures is strong.
Overall, Australian European train travel sales are just over 140% above budget. Global sales reached 60% of the year’s target at the end of September compared to the same time in 2019 – an impressive bounce-back given that Japan and China are still closed.
While 2023 is shaping to be a strong year for Rail Europe, Leonard says the team’s priority is to continue assisting advisors, getting them up to speed with their advanced booking technology; and driving sales. He adds that a series of exciting incentives and offers will begin to roll out in the new year.
Advisors are also reminded that the merger between Eurostar and Thalys, which formed The Eurostar Group in May 2022, will increase ticket and route options.
To take 30 million passengers a year between Europe’s most significant cities by 2030, Tuesday-Ann Castle, Senior Lead Manager, International Strategy & B2B Partnerships at Eurostar, points out that the combined network allows travellers to switch from car or plane to train conveniently.
“With the now four daily direct return services from Rotterdam and Amsterdam to the UK for example, travellers not only have greater flexibility, but can enjoy an incredibly sustainable travel option that also saves time,” she says.
She notes that a passenger’s carbon footprint from one flight is roughly equivalent to 13 Eurostar journeys (based on 2019 CO2e emissions), which equates to almost two weeks of daily travel on the service.
In other updates, advisors assisting sports fans with travel around the Rugby World Cup in France are advised to start planning. The sporting event will occur across the ten host cities of Lille, Lyon, Saint-Étienne, Nice, Marseilles, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, Paris and Saint-Denis from 8 September – 28 October 2023.
Over the UK, advisors and travellers should also note several milestones and events to take place in 2023, including the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III in May and the 67th Eurovision Song Contest being hosted in Liverpool later that month.
The fastest Eurostar journey between London and Paris is 2hr 15 mins, and from London to Rotterdam it’s 3hr 3 mins. For further information and prices, visit agent.raileurope.com.
Edited by Peter Needham
