Strengthening the partnership Rail Europe

Rhone-Alpes Tourism has concluded a partnership agreement with Rail Europe, the international arm of the SNCF. Until the end of December, Rhone-Alpes and appears on nearly 160 bags of 000 tickets issued in Germany, Benelux, Spain, Italy and Switzerland. A press trip and éductours for travel agents are expected from Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium.

Rhone-Alpes, one of Europe's best served by the train, intends to build on this mode of transport to attract customers to neighbouring European countries. Hence the partnership agreement that was concluded by Rhone-Alpes Tourism with Rail Europe, the international arm of the SNCF.
"This partnership is identical to the one set up with Air France, said Sophie Vaissellet responsible development of Europe Latin markets. So far, working with Rail Europe piecemeal as was done for the Market flavors, in 2006, or for travel news on Northern Europe. But we wanted to go further in showing us this year on the sleeves of tickets issued in Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Benelux. In total, 156 700 of these kits have been issued for an investment of € 14 000 HT, whose 48 000 Benelux with the French and Dutch, 43 000 in Switzerland with German and French, 27 500 in Spain, 21 500 in Germany and 16 700 in Italy. The goal is to reach the general public by providing adequate visibility to Rhone-Alpes in these markets. It is important to know that many tourists staying in these countries take the train to come to France. "


A trend that should also be strengthened because of higher fuel costs and also because many communities, as the Rhone-Alps region, play the card of sustainable development by relying on rail transport.
This operation will be accompanied by a press trip from Italy and éductours from the Netherlands and Belgium. Representative Rhone-Alpes Tourism in Italy, Paola Pacchiana lead a group of five journalists in Piedmont and Lombardy in our region in late June.


"Milan is connected to Rhone-Alpes by three daily trains that stop in Turin, she says. The Lombard capital is 4 hours and 5 hours Chambéry the airport of Lyon-Saint Exupery. On 7 May, I participated in the workshop "The mornings Rail Europe" organized in Milan where I could meet with journalists and travel agents interested in destinations served by the train. Rhone-Alpes was the main partner of this event. Currently, Italians know especially the mountain with Les 2 Alpes, Megeve, Chamonix and the Alpe d'Huez, Annecy and its monthly flea market, Grenoble, just in Lyon and Saint-Etienne for the design. They come for skiing, gastronomy, local products, festivals and village festivals, religious tourism and just for the Biennale de la Danse. " Côté Benelux, Nathalie Vallier, responsible for markets in Belgium / Netherlands, also relies on this partnership to sell Rhone-Alpes. "From 20 to 22 June, we organize with Rail Europe a éductour in the Lyon region to 30 travel agents Belgian top performers. And from 19 to 21 September, we receive a dozen employees of the Dutch railways in order to train them to the destination. "