Q: So Erica, what has led Intrepid to launch a stand-alone rail range?
A: Trains and public transport have been an interesting story since the very beginning of Intrepid. Our trips started in Thailand with an overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai all the way back in 1989-1990.
There’s absolutely no doubt that the interest in rail travel is rising. We did some research as we prepared to release this rail range and about 75% of the travellers that we surveyed told us they’re hoping to take a train on their next trip, so we know that there’s strong interest in it.
Q: What is it about train travel that appeals to people?
A: There’s such a beauty to rail travel that also speaks to Intrepid’s ethos around real life experiences.
The trains that we use on these trips really celebrate public transport systems, public rail lines and they give travellers an opportunity to experience a landscape or a destination in a slower way.
You’re looking out the window and seeing those landscapes changes, you’re driving through cities and seeing life on the train as well, so you’re getting that local immersion.
And for us, too, it’s a really important point of connection. It’s that time when travellers can talk to each other, or they can read a book. So there’s also a level of relaxation from rail travel that also speaks to another rising trend, which is obviously around slow travel.
Q: How has the reaction been to the launch of the range?
A: I’ve actually been surprised by the level of interest we’ve had. The range itself is 40 trips that already existed in our catalogue that celebrate rail travel along with three new trips that we’ve developed to really celebrate and elevate the rail range as well.
The range was only launched three weeks ago and already we’ve had more than 250 bookings, of which more than 100 of those have been out of Australia. So it’s been a fantastic launch.
Q: Promoting rail instead of air travel also speaks to a core Intrepid value.
A: From a product design standpoint, this really reflects the recognition that we want to decarbonise product operations as well.
We are going through a process of reviewing our trips and where we can, we’re replacing internal flights with less carbon intensive options as part of that strategy.
As a business, Intrepid is already carbon neutral, but we are looking to take that next step in terms of how we approach that from a product design and operations standpoint as well.
Q: I believe the survey you mentioned earlier showed that Australians are keen to follow your decarbonisation initiatives?
A: From that survey 86% of Australians said that they’d consider an alternative form of transport during their travels if it reduced their carbon footprint. And then 31% of those said they would do so even if it meant taking a longer route.
That was really interesting to us because what this is telling us is that people will actually willingly go away for longer for this reason.
Q: Eliminating air travel obviously gives you the chance to get people off the beaten track to lesser known destinations.
A: That’s absolutely right and it’s an interesting product design challenge.
There are certain destinations where we will still have to have flights but it’s been a really exciting challenge for us to think about what might lie between those places and how you can evolve itineraries in a different way.
We’ve got an itinerary in Vietnam where we’d always had a flight and this season we’ve taken the flight out. It’s allowed us to introduce a new place in the itinerary called Quy Nhon where you meet this amazing martial arts master and you go to this really incredible temple.
I don’t know that we would have necessarily put that stop in the trip if we hadn’t been going on this journey.
Q: Do you see more rail journeys joining the range down the track?
A: There’s definitely more in the pipeline. We try not to go too crazy in my team but that’s part of what makes us passionate about our jobs. We’re all travellers at heart and we’re full of ideas about what’s next. We’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg.
Q: Finally, why should Aussies jump on board these rail tours?
A: Because they are going to have a fantastic holiday when they do, that’s the bottom line. We want people to have an immersive, inspiring experience when they travel with us and I know that these trips are going to provide that in spades.
