Rail Tourism Awards 2024: Celebrating Creativity in Sustainable Travel Across Europe

The European Travel Commission (ETC) and Eurail have revealed the winners of the 2024 Rail Tourism Awards, recognising excellence in rail travel promotion. The awards were presented in Luxembourg City during ETC’s General Meeting #108, hosted by Luxembourg for Tourism.

This General Meeting, which brought together national tourism boards from across Europe, centred on sustainable mobility and celebrated the journey as a destination. Luxembourg provided the perfect backdrop for this discussion, with its commitment to sustainability through free public transportation across the country.

Now in its fourth year, the Rail Tourism Awards recognise exceptional campaigns that highlight the freedom, adventure, and sustainability of exploring Europe by train. This year’s competition attracted over 25 submissions from across the tourism and rail sectors.

The winning campaigns were selected by a panel of judges from across the tourism, rail, and marketing industries. This year’s jury included Elke Dens of The Travel Foundation, Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries of hidden europe, Marit Ruuda from the European Commission, Mark Smith, also known as ‘The Man in Seat 61’, and Owen Farrington of krow.x. Each submission was evaluated for its creativity, relevance to rail travel, overall impact, and sustainability focus.

Celebrating this year’s awards, Miguel Sanz, President of ETC, said: “Embracing sustainable mobility is essential for the future of European tourism, and rail travel is at the heart of this transition. By encouraging travellers to explore Europe at a more relaxed pace, we foster a deeper connection with our diverse destinations, reducing environmental impact while supporting local communities. This year’s winners of the Rail Tourism Awards inspire this meaningful shift, inviting travellers to experience Europe in a way that respects and sustains its beauty for years to come”.

Eurail CEO, Carlo Boselli, added: “The Rail Tourism Awards are a testament to rail’s transformative power in fostering meaningful, sustainable connections. By placing rail travel at the heart of tourism, we inspire travellers to experience Europe on a human scale, immersing themselves in cultures, building lasting relationships, and embracing a shared responsibility for our planet. Together, we can shape a future where every journey becomes a bridge between people, places, and cultures, leaving a positive and sustainable impact on the world”.

Interrail: All-inclusive Redefined by SBB AG in collaboration with Sweet took home the award for Best European Campaign for its fresh take on the classic all-inclusive holiday. This creative campaign contrasts the confines of typical resort travel with the freedom and spontaneity of rail journeys across Europe. Alongside its humour and evocative imagery, the judges praised the campaign’s promotion of the independence and deeper cultural engagement possible through Interrail.

The jury found All-inclusive Redefined to be a thoughtful strategy, creatively challenging typical package holidays. The campaign was memorable and engaging for a broad audience, also proven by the impressive increase of 365% in Interrail sales.

Judges charmed by Trains of the New Generation

The award for Best National Campaign went to the Trains of the New Generation campaign by Slovenske železnice – Potniški promet. The campaign creatively portrays adult passengers as children, utilising a nostalgic angle to suggest that train journeys are more than transportation and can evoke great feelings of joy and wonder. The judges found this portrayal to be a highly creative and memorable twist that brought a unique charm to the ads, and helped drive a notable 10% increase in passenger numbers.

The campaign invites all ages to reconnect with travel’s pure delight while highlighting the new-generation trains as a modern, memorable way to explore.

Discover Europe by Train and Bike highlights the value of eco-friendly travel

French travel platform Mollow’s Discover Europe by Train and Bike campaign won this year’s award for Best Green Campaign. The campaign promoted eco-friendly travel by showing how train journeys can be combined with cycling routes across Europe. Uniquely crafted in-house, Mollow developed custom cycling itineraries aligned with scenic train routes, allowing travellers to explore Europe’s landscapes in a sustainable and immersive way.

The judges were particularly impressed by the ability of a small in-house team to produce such an innovative campaign, praising its refreshing strategy to promote the ease and environmental benefits of mixing cycling with rail travel.

Treno Gottardo’s scenic route captivates the jury

Treno Gottardo – Die schönste Verbindung zwischen Nord – a campaign that revitalises Switzerland’s Gotthard scenic route and encourages travellers to choose the panoramic rail journey over the faster tunnel option – was awarded this year’s Jury Prize. The campaign, run by Schweizerische Südostbahn AG, caught the judges’ attention for its success in revitalising a classic railway route.

This historic path, renowned for its sweeping views, now connects Basel, Zurich, and Lucerne directly to Ticino with enhanced, comfortable trains. Treno Gottardo invites passengers to slow down and immerse themselves in Switzerland’s cultural and natural beauty, while helping to reignite interest in a previously forgotten route.