Travellers’ growing interest in flexible and experiential holidays has presented rail travel with an opportunity to shine, as this mode of travel facilitates deeper and convenient exploration of a destination, according to B2B rail travel specialist Railbookers Group.
Nick Lim, vice president – Asia at Railbookers Group, told TTG Asia: “Travellers today are looking for more than simply getting from one place to another. They want the journey itself to be a relaxing and enjoyable experience. Rail delivers that freedom, flexibility and even luxury other forms of transportation cannot. The holiday begins the moment you step onboard.
“Whether it has been your dream to live it up in Italy or to spend slow days in a typical Swiss village, the highly customisable nature of rail holidays makes it easy for anyone to fulfill their travel desire. They only need to choose their time to travel, the destinations, and their preferred pace.”
Amid rising travel costs, Lim said rail travel offers another advantage in the form of relatively stable pricing across many key routes and destinations compared with other transport options.
He believes more Asian travel agents should tap into the sector, highlighting Railbookers Group’s portfolio of rail products worldwide and the growing interest among Asian travellers in exploring international destinations.
“Railbookers Group presence is global with both our brands, Amtrak Vacations and Railbookers. We are also building and expanding our product range here in Asia-Pacific, so it will be exciting times ahead,” remarked Lim.
In Asia-Pacific, Railbookers Group offers products including The Ghan in Australia and the Eastern & Oriental Express, which operates between Singapore and Malaysia.
Lim said the company simplifies the process of selling rail holidays by handling logistics behind the scenes.
“We handle all the essentials from behind the scenes – from rail and accommodation to sightseeing, transfers and more. This allows our travel agent partners more time to design exciting new offerings for their customers and not get bogged down by the details.
“The best part of working with Railbookers Group is that our agents don’t have to be experts in rail to sell rail holidays,” he added.
Travel agents earn a 10 per cent commission on the gross package price when booking through Railbookers Group and can increase earnings through additional travel components.
Lim said around 30 per cent of the company’s sales come from pre- and post-cruise extensions in Europe and North America.
“Due to the flexible nature of rail travel, there are multiple ways for more earnings. Travel agents are able to utilise our rail packages to generate more income as they supplement river cruises and ocean liners sales,” he explained.
He added that rail itineraries also offer opportunities for corporate travel agents by providing short leisure extensions after business trips.
“It’s quite clear that rail holidays are the next frontier of travel experiences,” said Lim, while acknowledging that further market growth will depend on greater product awareness among both consumers and travel agents.
“Once the trade and the public are more comfortable and reassured, their confidence levels go up. When this happens, we should naturally see a progressive demand for rail holidays. This pattern is a typical cycle of new travel styles that we have seen in the past, such as in the adoption of river cruises,” he said.
Railbookers Group has been supporting product education through trade events and in-market activities. The company recently participated in the Swiss Tourism Exchange 2026 and hosted a product seminar in Singapore.
