Trenitalia & ECTAA working together

12-2-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — Recognising the increasing importance of rail transport in Europe, ECTAA has agreed to work closer with Trenitalia on the distribution of rail products through travel agents and tour operators.

Trenitalia and ECTAA are implementing their strategic partnership agreement to help promote and distribute Trenitalia’s products through travel agents and tour operators in Europe.

Currently, Trenitalia has lots of foreign sales points using Trenitalia’s direct sales systems. The network is made up of traditional and online travel agencies and tour operators. Trenitalia is keen to promote the distribution of its rail products through travel agents and tour operators in Europe and worldwide.

Rail transport is an increasingly important market for travel agents and tour operators who need to offer their customers the whole range of travel services. Throughout Europe there has been an evolution in rail travel and it is now becoming a real alternative to air transport on certain routes.

Trenitalia is able to offer travel agents and tour operators simple sales solutions: pure electronic tickets on medium and long distance Italian domestic trains including Le Frecce – Frecciabianca, Frecciarossa and Frecciargento – that connect the whole country from the North to the very South in Sicily. Le Frecce trains are Trenitalia’s newest achievement on high-speed lines; with totally renovated interiors, modern design, new exclusive technology appliances and services. Moreover, Trenitalia’s agents are able to book the Thello train – the night connection between Paris and main Italian cities such as Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome and some others. The booking process is completely ticketless, so the agent receives the booking confirmation via email and can print it out in the agency or forward it to the client. After-sales operations, such as changing tickets, are possible through the point of sale.

Said President of ECTAA: ”Trenitalia is the first railway undertaking seeking a strategic alliance with travel agents and tour operators at European level. Expanding the distribution of rail products through travel agents and tour operators will help attract new customers abroad, while the latter help keep down the distribution costs in foreign markets. This is a win-win partnership.”

Speaking at the ECTAA bi-annual meeting of ECTAA in Brussels end of last year, Serafino Lo Piano, Manager of the International Sales and Charter Trains Department at Trenitalia, made a compelling case that Trenitalia’s trains are the most comfortable, affordable and fastest way to visit Italy. Mr Lo Piano presented Trenitalia’s sale system and explained which the possibilities are offered by Trenitalia through its distribution network at the moment. He highlighted that Trenitalia provides tourist a wonderful and unique experience of discovering Italy by train with maximum comfort while arriving in the heart of the cities.

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