ABOUT THE RAIL TOURISM AWARDS

The Rail Tourism Awards are organised by the European Travel Commission (ETC) and Eurail since 2021.

The Awards recognise the most impactful marketing campaigns that promote train travel as a sustainable tourism model across Europe.

The objectives of the awards are to:

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Foster collaboration between the rail and tourism sectors in Europe, promoting dialogue and cooperation to drive forward a more sustainable model for tourism.

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Support the green transition in European tourism and encourage adopting more responsible travel practices.

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Inspire travellers to choose rail tourism as an eco-friendly and responsible transportation choice, effectively lowering the carbon footprint associated with travel.

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Promote slower travel throughout Europe, encouraging deeper exploration of local cultures and European destinations.

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Enhance the visibility of European destinations, aiming to create a unique image of Europe and raise awareness about lesser-known destinations.

Explore case studies of past winners of the Rail Tourism Awards for inspiration!

Eligibility

The Awards are open to National Tourism Organisations (NTOs), Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs), rail organisations, tourism businesses, as well as marketing agencies and other entities working in the tourism and rail sectors.

To qualify for the awards, the campaigns should centre on promoting rail travel in Europe. They can highlight pan-European journeys, as well as national or local routes across European destinations.

Here are examples of possible marketing channels:

NATIVE ADVERTISING

SOCIAL MEDIA

REFERRAL MARKETING

PR CAMPAIGNS

VIDEO

INFLUENCER MARKETING

PROGRAMMATIC DISPLAY

EMAIL MARKETING

The Awards submissions will be judged based on the following criteria:

Relevance (30%). The extent to which the campaign aligns with and contributes to at least one of the objectives of the Awards.

Rail travel at the core of the campaign (30%). The ability to organically and consistently incorporate rail travel throughout the campaign.

Creativity and innovation of the campaign approach (15%). The extent to which the campaign demonstrates an innovative and creative approach. 

Measurable outputs (25%). The campaign’s clear, measurable outcomes, and defined metrics for success, along with evidence of the project’s positive impact.