Rail Europe’s debut roadshow is coming Down Under next month

Rail Europe’s debut roadshow is coming Down Under next month
Edited by Travel Weekly


    Rail Europe has announced its inaugural Visit Europe & Britain Roadshow that will tour Australia next month in partnership with the European Travel Commission (ETC) and VisitBritain.

    The roadshow will take place in Melbourne on 31 October followed by Sydney on 1 November.

    For the first time, travel advisors will meet with all eight members of the ETC’s Australian Chapter, including Atout France, the Italian National Tourist Board, Switzerland Tourism, Tourism Ireland, the Austrian National Tourist Office, Visit Monaco, Spain Tourism Board, Visit Portugal; along with VisitBritain and Rail Europe, all under one roof.

    Not only will advisors hear firsthand the latest experiences and activities in store in each country for 2024 and beyond, but they can also look forward to winning a string of prizes along the way.

    “There has never been one event specifically designed for our travel advisors which boasts all of Europe,” GM (APAC), Rail Europe, Richard Leonard, said.

    “As such, we are extremely excited to be working with the ETC members and VisitBritain to present this ground-breaking opportunity to showcase the continent to our key travel advisors.”

    “Europe and the UK will always be favoured and cherished travel destinations for Australians.

    “And with more travellers broadening their wish list of destinations and experiences every time they visit, this roadshow is a useful platform to keep advisors informed of not only new experiences, events and lesser known places, but also the best ways to connect between cities, regions and countries.

    “With rail becoming the most reliable, efficient, safest and importantly the most environmentally friendly way to travel across Europe, advisors will also gain deeper insights into the many new and different connections available, plus other significant value adds that rail travel provides.”

    E320 train on the move in Kent. (Supplied)

    “We believe travellers enjoy visiting and revisiting Europe because of its diverse offering and thematic experiences; and while traditional attractions remain popular, visitors are increasingly going off the beaten path and travelling off-season as well,” marketing project manager, ETC, Ludivine Destree, said.

    “We are also seeing many travellers developing more loyalty and respect for the destinations and communities they are visiting and getting to know better.

    “Following this shift, ETC has been implementing its ‘Horizon 2022′ marketing strategy which promotes Europe as a collection of meaningful experiences that connect with people’s passions, and only secondly refers to the places where it all happens.

    “This not only puts travellers’ interest first, but also helps us to attract travellers who share our position on sustainable tourism.”

    Maria Sykes, VisitBritain’s Australia and New Zealand country manager said the iconic rail journeys in Britain are the perfect way for Aussie travellers to explore the country.

    “As one of the most valuable inbound markets for Britain, demand from Australia continues to build in 2023 with Aussie travellers staying longer and exploring more of Britain utilising our extensive national rail network,” Sykes, said.

    “We’re delighted to be working with Rail Europe and the ETC helping our travel trade partners hop on board to better convert this growing demand for Britain into bookings.”

    Latest News

    • Conferences

    Sydney confirms position as Australia’s No. 1 business events host

    Sydney’s reinforced its position as the world’s preferred Australian host city, and top Australian city in the APAC region for international and local business events. Sydney secured 25th place in the worldwide ICCA city rankings and ranked 6th (ICCA) and 3rd (CVENT) in the Asia Pacific region. Tourism Australia also celebrated the ICCA 2023 rankings […]

    • Food & Beverage
    • Hotels

    Luke Mangan launches Bistrot Bisou, his first Melbourne restaurant in over a decade

    Melbourne-born, Sydney-based chef and restaurateur Luke Mangan will open his first Melbourne restaurant in more than a decade this winter with the launch of Bistrot Bisou, set within the art-focused, character-filled Hotel Indigo. Set on the corner of Flinders Lane and Spencer Street, the relaxed French bistro and bar will feature modern takes on classic […]

    • Luxury

    COMO launches new family-sized farmhouse in the heart of Tuscany

    COMO Hotels and Resorts has launched its new farmhouse apartments in the heart of Tuscany, just in time for Australians to escape our wet winter. And it’s also an ideal time for Aussies of Italian ancestry to explore their home country as 2024 has been declared the year of Roots and Heritage Tourism by the […]

    • Destinations
    • News

    New Caledonia in lockdown and airport closed after violent riots rock Noumea

    New Caledonia officials have announced a 6pm-6am curfew, a liquor ban and have closed the country’s main airport after overnight riots in which vehicles were torched and roads blocked in the wake of proposed constitutional reforms. Australian Government website Smartraveller has issued an alert informing visitors to exercise a high degree of caution in metropolitan […]