The recent announcement of Eurail to permanently reduce its prices on all passes by up to 37 per cent is expected to boost the demand generated by the Free Independent Traveller (FIT) segment in India.
“About 30-40 per cent of the total Indian travellers to Europe come from the FIT segment. We are expecting to see this number to grow significantly in the next 5-10 years. Our main target segment in India is the FIT and we are keen to take advantage of this growing market,” said Yi Ding, Market Manager, Asia, Eurail while addressing reporters in a press event in New Delhi. Around 13,000 plus Indians travelled on Eurail in 2018.
“The reduction in the prices of Eurail Pass will help to further boost the demand from the FIT segment. We expect the revenue from the Indian market to double in the next decade considering the robust Indian economy and the growing travel demand,” she added.
India is the third largest market for Eurail in Asia after China and South Korea and 6th globally. Presently, Asia counts for 37 per cent of the total Eurail market. The Indian market contributes around € 3-4 million in overall revenue of Eurail annually.
According to the latest survey conducted by Eurail, top countries preferred by Indian travellers included Switzerland (28%), Germany (20%), Italy (15%) and Austria (9%) to name a few, highlighting a strong preference for Western and Southern Europe. The popular itineraries in the top three countries include Luzern-Zurich/Engelberg-Luzern/Zurich-Luzern in Switzerland; Frankfurt-Koln/Munich-Salzburg/Koln-Frankfurt in Germany; and Rome-Florence-Pisa-Venice in Italy.