Australia delivers Eurostar sales boost

Australia delivers Eurostar sales boost
By admin


Australia delivered a near 40% lift in sales revenue for Eurostar in the first half of 2013 as non-European Union traffic again drove growth for the rail operator.

Overall non-EU revenue climbed 17% in the six months to June 30, but local sales outstripped that, growing 37%.

Total passenger numbers climbed 2% to 4.9 million with revenue up 7% to £453m.

The growth was achieved despite a flat first quarter as services were hit by “several extended periods of adverse weather”.

The second quarter saw improved trading with passenger growth of 4%, Eurostar said.

Revenue from leisure sales climbed 8%, partially driven by the launch of new routes, while a marketing campaign targeted at international travellers and focusing on luxury travel helped boost the number of non-EU passengers travelling in Standard Premier.

More than one in 10 of all Standard Premier travellers during the first half originated from international markets, Eurostar said.

Chief executive Nicolas Petrovic said the launch of new routes, including a new winter ski service to the Swiss Alps and a service linking London with Lyon, Avignon and Aix-en-Provence, were fuelling growth

“A trip on Eurostar continues to be a big draw for international and European travellers alike,” he said. “We have seen a surge in bookings from outside Europe and our new services to Provence has proved a great success with many services running at full capacity.”

The eight week trial of the Provence service was so successful that Eurostar is exploring plans to operate a year-round service.

Business traffic, meanwhile, climbed 3% in the first half with the April-June quarter delivering a “significant” increase in passengers.

Petrovic said the outlook for the business sector was more positive.

“We have seen a return to more normal patterns of business travel which were impacted negatively in the first half of 2012 ahead of the opening of the London 2012 Games,” he said.

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

eurostar rail

Latest News

  • Products

Embrace the journey: Traversing the world with the Shokz OpenRun

If you’ve been on the wrong side of a final call in the airport, or missed the stop on rail journey, it might be time to invest in a pair of Shokz OpenRun headphones. Originally marketed as headphones for fitness fanatics, runners or cyclists with a keen to steer clear of a prang with a car, […]

  • Tour Operators
  • Tourism

TTC: Deals are driving up demand for September trips

The latest market research from TTC Tour Brands shows interest in international leisure travel remains high for 2024, with 77 per cent of Australians over 18 still planning trips this year. Notably, 28 per cent of those travellers are eyeing September for their journeys. Europe continues to be the most popular destination, with 68 per […]

  • Aviation

Qantas ‘working urgently’ to fix app data leak

Qantas is looking into customer reports that passengers have this morning been able to access other passengers’ personal information on the airlines app. X user Lachlan posted that he was able log into different accounts every time he opened the app. My @Qantas app logs me in to a different person each time I open […]

  • Hotels

Revamped Wailoaloa Beach hotel opens as Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa

Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa is open and ready for bookings after the first phase of a multi-million-dollar transformation. Part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ premium collection, the transformation has seen the completion of 106 guestrooms showcasing contemporary interiors reflective of the premium Crowne Plaza brand and is a first for the […]

  • Luxury
  • News

Kamalaya Koh Samui clinches clutch of wellness awards

Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa has so far clinched five prestigious awards in 2024, including being inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ at the World Spa & Wellness Awards in London. Founders of the Koh Samui sanctuary and spa John and Karina Stewart expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the awards. “We are profoundly honoured […]