These journeys by way of Switzerland, Occitanie and Vienna present the thrill and freedom of travelling Europe by prepare.
What might be extra attractive than a winding prepare journey by way of the Swiss mountains, sitting reverse tennis star Roger Federer and comic Trevor Noah?
Not a lot, in keeping with the jury of the 2023 Rail Tourism Awards. It has simply handed Switzerland Tourism the highest prize for its promotional movie that includes the 2 celebs on a serendipitous journey by way of the nation.
Run by the European Journey Fee (ETC) and Eurail, the awards rejoice advertising and marketing campaigns which present the fun, freedom and sustainability of travelling the continent by prepare.
“An increasing number of friends wish to journey sustainably,” stated Austria’s State Secretary for Tourism, Susanne Kraus-Winkler, on the ceremony in Vienna on Monday.
“A well-developed and managed public transport community is essential for our friends to maneuver freely to and of their chosen vacation spot.”
She heralded The Rail Tourism Awards as “one of the best platform to advertise present mobility gives and their benefits.”
Three winners and an honourable point out had been chosen by a panel of prepare consultants, together with social media’s favorite prepare guru Mark Smith, aka The Man in Seat 61.
Switzerland boasts one of the best prepare journey marketing campaign
With its breath-taking Alpine surroundings, Switzerland has loads of pure benefits on the subject of selling prepare journey. However the nation has additionally invested in world-class rail infrastructure.
Add to that two witty performances from the half-Swiss Noah and Federer in ‘Grand Prepare Tour of Switzerland: The journey of a lifetime’ and Switzerland Tourism was certain to win Finest Rail Tourism Marketing campaign.
The quick movie, which has racked up 82 million views on YouTube, demonstrates the fun of in-country journey with humour and mesmerising cinematography.
It opens with Federer and Noah about to start out filming the advert earlier than by chance getting on the mistaken prepare. However, in a rustic as beautiful and well-equipped as Switzerland, it seems you can “by no means [be] on the mistaken prepare.”
Occitanie, France has essentially the most inspiring regional rail provide
The southern French area of Occitane additionally has heaps of pure magnificence and cultural points of interest, from castle-crested valleys to the Mediterranean coast.
The ‘Occitanie Rail Tour’ scooped the Finest Regional Marketing campaign for its superb provide to guests, together with:
- Limitless journey round Occitania for €10 a day, for two to six consecutive days. This all yr spherical deal is due to a cope with SNCF (French Railways) and liO Prepare (regional trains).
- A tailored Michelin information full of detailed recommendation – together with the place to take a seat on every prepare path to get essentially the most out of the surroundings.
- Recommendations for lodging and actions alongside Occitanie’s 19 railway traces.
Since it may be difficult to search out sustainable transport for the ultimate leg of a journey, Occitanie Regional Tourism and Leisure Board was additionally praised for a marketing campaign that presents rail journey as the answer for that ‘final mile’.
Vienna was voted one of the best for encouraging cross-border journey
After the isolation of the COVID pandemic, Vienna determined that cross-border rail journey was one of the best ways of restoring Europe’s connectivity.
Final yr, for each 100 people who visited Vienna, the tourism board despatched a Viennese individual to a different European metropolis.
This uncommon marketing campaign, known as ‘Vienna by Prepare – Uniting Cities’, gained the choose’s admiration.
They praised the Finest Cross-Border Marketing campaign winner for its portrayal of rail tourism as a way of selling solidarity between cities and enhancing the standard of life for native residents.
In its bid to place Vienna as a European railway hub, the Austrian capital has loads else to supply guests – together with a brand new era of night time trains.
Now in its third yr, the Rail Tourism Awards ceremony passed off on the World Passenger Competition in Vienna, hosted by ÖBB Austrian Federal Railways and Wiener Linien.
With European rail journey on the rise, it acquired a report 31 entries this yr.
Spain’s Galicia area additionally acquired an honourable point out for its 14 vacationer rail traces.
Fewer vacationers have skilled the distinctive gastronomy, landscapes and historical past of Galicia, however ‘Galicia area vacationer trains’ by Renfe and Turismo de Galicia are serving to to place the area on the map.