Rail continues to struggle with stereotypes and stigmas amongst Australians despite its growing popularity in the market, according Railbookers’ Lisa Pagotto.
Speaking to KarryOn, the Partnerships and Distribution Manager explained rail travel is where the river cruising sector was a few years ago – at the start of an expected big boom.
But just like river cruising, it faces the challenge of eradicating old stigmas people have ‘etched in their minds’.
“The trains in Australia do not compare to what is on offer abroad and unfortunately many Aussie’s hear the word ‘train’ and compare what we have here to what they believe is available overseas.”
Lisa Pagotto, Railbookers Partnerships and Distribution Manager
Check out more of our chat with Lisa below.
Is rail picking up steam amongst Aussie travellers?
It really is and I think picking up steam is an understatement.
As we have seen throughout many articles over the past few weeks, rail travel is where river cruising was several years ago. Rail is the next big boom to follow the growth trends that flow through the industry.
Rail really is the perfect in-between product for those not wanting to join an escorted group tour with other travellers or for those not quite confident enough to tackle an independent self drive option. Australian’s are starting to realise this and jump on board.
Many travellers are now also combining their rail travel with other parts of their journeys like doing a cruise/rail combination. With the ability to travel from country to country by train and not have to worry about expenses like one way drop off fees and road tolls, this flexible mode of transport really fits in well with the way Australians travel.
What are the challenges in marketing to Aussies?
The biggest challenge is removing that rail stigma that people have etched in their minds. The trains in Australia do not compare to what is on offer abroad and unfortunately many Aussie’s hear the word ‘train’ and compare what we have here to what they believe is available overseas.
Some travellers also view rail travel as ‘too hard’ when it comes to navigating train stations and platforms in foreign speaking countries when in fact it is the complete opposite. For many travellers, once they have travelled by rail, they will never go back to short haul domestic flights or battling with GPS systems.
What rail journeys are most popular in the market?
Being a tailor made rail specialist and offering complete packages including hand picked accommodation and sightseeing, we do of course follow the trends of other rail companies with Italy and France always being the most popular European choices.
However, due to the nature of what we can offer and the curious minds of Australian travellers, we are really starting to see a large swing in more experiential rail journeys such as travelling through France, Spain and across to Morocco. I bet you didn’t know that you could explore Morocco by rail.
These longer multi-country journeys are where we are seeing the most growth and creativity with the Australian travellers. Travelling from London all the way through to Istanbul is becoming more popular as well as travelling from London through to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Which regions are you seeing most growth in rail travel?
Europe is a very strong rail destination for us, but we are seeing significant growth throughout India, Eastern Asia as well as the USA.
What we are finding is that once our guests have travelled throughout Europe, they feel confident travelling by rail and when looking forward to plan their next journey, they look to travel by rail there also. Journeys combining the USA and Canada are really on the increase as are cross country journeys too.
What are some tips you offer agents selling rail?
Keep it simple. Make sure you understand the rail product you are offering before offering it including the type of train your clients would be travelling on and the services available on board.
If you aren’t sure, give us a call and we can walk you through the best possible option for your clients. Explain the benefits of travelling by rail including the time saved by not venturing all the way out to an airport only have to have to wait another hour for your plane and then wait again at the other end for your luggage and then wait AGAIN for a taxi.
If your clients are environmentally conscious, inform them that travelling by rail is the greenest way to travel when compared to car hire and flights covering the same distance. Explain to your clients that most train stations are centrally located – no need to haggle with taxi drivers or worry about being ripped off. Chances are there are some great hotels within walking distance you can offer them.
Compare the costs properly. Don’t simply look at a rail fare and a plane fare. Add on all the additional costs that you would encounter on top of the plane ticket – taxis to and from the airport, expensive airport food. Explain to them they can enjoy the journey and see parts of the countryside they may not otherwise see if they were 35,000 feet in the air or with their head buried in road maps. You can kick back and relax and enjoy the journey as much as the destination.
