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

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.”

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European Travel Commission Ludivine Destree Maria Sykes rail europe richard leonard visitbritain