Trenitalia targets to be first choice for Indian travellers

Italian train operator Trenitalia is focussing on the Indian market in order to make its services, domestic as well as international, the top choice for Indian travellers visiting Europe, Francesco Cacciapuoti, Chief Sales Officer, Trenitalia, tells India Outbound. Cacciapuoti adds that though most of the demand from India is by bookings through the travel trade, there is a noticeable rise in direct bookings by Indian travellers also.

- RANVIR NAYAR

How are you promoting Trenitalia's products in India? Which is the most popular route?

We are pursuing a two-fold strategy in India, combining strong distribution partnerships with targetted brand awareness campaigns. On the one hand, we are working very closely with Indian travel agents, tour operators and Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) to ensure that Trenitalia tickets are seamlessly integrated into their European itineraries. This means that when Indian travellers book a flight, a cruise or a holiday package, they also have the option to add a Trenitalia train journey across Italy, making the entire trip smoother and more attractive.

On the other hand, we are also investing in awareness-building activities that showcase the unique qualities of our Trenitalia trains, namely wide capillarity, speed, comfort, reliability and the ability to travel city centre to city centre without the stress of airports.

For Indian travellers, the most popular itinerary continues to be the famous Rome-Florence-Venice-Milan corridor. This route perfectly reflects what we often call the 'classic Italy journey', combining culture, history, art and shopping in one seamless itinerary. It allows visitors to experience Rome's monuments, Florence's Renaissance treasures, Venice's canals and Milan's modern style, all within a few days, thanks to the efficiency of our high capillarity network.

This corridor is consistently in high demand among Indian tourists, especially first-time visitors who want to make the most of their European holiday.

What is a bigger seller for you, domestic or international?