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Best European Rail Tourism Campaign 2022

About the Award

Following a successful first edition, the European Travel Commission (ETC) and Eurail are launching the Best European Rail Tourism Campaign awards for a second year.

Similarly to 2021, the award will be given to marketing campaigns that aim to create synergies between the rail and tourism sectors, and to effectively promote train travel as a sustainable tourism model throughout Europe. In the context of the 2022 European Year of Youth, the awards will also celebrate campaigns encouraging European youth to travel by rail, shining a light on how young generations can contribute to a better, more inclusive and greener future in Europe.

 

The awards aim to:

  • Contribute to the European Green Deal and its goals, particularly in its ambition to cut greenhouse gas emissions and achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
  • Promote rail tourism among travellers as a clean, healthy form of transportation and as an alternative to reduce the often-heavy carbon footprint of tourism-related transportation.
  • Give visibility to European destinations and promote sustainable travel experiences, namely to:
    • Build a distinctive image of Europe by broadening perceptions of what the continent has to offer
    • Increase awareness of extraordinary travel experiences in lesser-known European destinations that can benefit from tourism and invite travellers to go off the beaten path
    • Restore confidence and stimulate sustainable demand for travel to and around Europe amidst the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Encourage cross-sectoral dialogue between the rail and tourism sectors to facilitate future synergies and cooperation towards a more sustainable tourism model.

Eligibility

The awards are open to NTOs, DMOs, rail organisations and other entities with significant operations in the tourism sector and based in Europe. Applications from consortia are also welcomed.

Types of action

Campaigns and/or campaign proposals must aim at contributing to the objectives defined above, particularly in promoting European rail tourism.

In that regard, promotional campaigns must use the right messages, channels and tactics to engage effectively the target audience. The following actions are examples of possible promotional activities:

  • Content marketing
  • Video
  • Native advertising
  • Social media
  • Referral marketing
  • Influencer marketing
  • Programmatic display
  • Email marketing
  • Online Travel Agencies (OTAs)

Evaluation Criteria and Jury

Applications will be evaluated by an expert jury comprised of experts in the fields of rail and tourism. The results will be announced at an official award ceremony in November 2022.

Criteria

  • Relevance.The nature and experience of the organising entity and the extent to which the (proposed) campaign is in line with and able to contribute to the achievement of at least one of the objectives of the award.
  • Rail travel at the core of the campaign. The ability to tie-in the rail experience in an organic and consistent way throughout the campaign, as opposed to highlighting the train as just a way to go from A to B.
  • Creativity and innovation of the campaign approach. The extent to which the proposal demonstrates an innovative and creative approach.
  • Measurable outputs. The campaign should have clear, measurable outcomes, and clearly defined metrics for success with evidence that the project is already making a positive impact.

Download the award concept note for more information here.

How to apply