The ease of rail connectivity, the promotion of ‘slow travel’ and a training program giving travel agents the chance to visit one of the world’s most popular destinations.
These were just some of the main topics raised when the Eurail & Spain Tourism Board Australian Market Roadshow rolled into Sydney last night.
“Australia is one of the main markets for us in this region,” said Marta Fernandez Martin, Tourism Counsellor, SE Asia, Australia & New Zealand, in an interview with Traveltalk.
“What I’m seeing this year is that many travel agents and Australians are asking about going to Spain. So I am pretty sure that for next year, in 2025 we may have even more Australians travelling to Spain.”
On the subject of slow travel, agents were told that the tourism board’s goal was to get more Australian travellers venturing beyond the big touristy cities, thereby spreading tourism’s economic benefit to lesser-visited communities.
The slow travel message will also make Aussies aware of the full breadth of lesser-known experiences available across the country.
“We’ve all heard about over tourism this year, particularly in Europe during the summer months,” said Andrew Cavallaro, Australia & New Zealand market representative for Eurail and Spain Tourism Board.
“And so we all have a responsibility, a shared responsibility, to help try and make travel more sustainable as well.”
To this end, Aussie tourists will be encouraged to avoid high-season travel, support local businesses where possible and enjoy a deeper connection with the people, places and culture of Spain.
“We really encourage you to think about your own travel choices and more consciously consider how you can travel more responsibly and also how the notion of slow travel can actually enhance your travel experience as well,” added Mr Cavallaro.
On connectivity, guests were told that the flexibility offered by the Eurail Pass, which enables borderless rail travel across 33 different European countries, remains popular among Australians. Indeed, Australia is Eurail’s second largest market globally.
A record-breaking year saw 1.2 million Eurail and Interrail Passes sold worldwide in 2023 and 2024 is shaping up as another bumper year as travellers switch to a more environmentally conscious form of transport.
“The good thing is that Spain is not such a big country as Australia, so you can cover most of the regions in three weeks and you can easily move through Spain by train,” added Ms Martin.
“There are so many things that you can experience in Spain, so I think that the best thing to do is just to go and discover them for yourself.”
Agents were also reminded about the Spain Specialist Program, a comprehensive online training program designed by Turespaña.
Apart from giving agents all the latest information on the country, it also gives participants the chance to earn spots on upcoming famils, attend exclusive events and win prizes.
https://www.spainspecialistprogram.com/en/
https://www.thisishelm.com.au/s/Spain-and-Europe-by-Train-Free-Travel-Agent-Guide.pdf
