Rail Tourism Awards 2025: Honouring the most inspiring campaigns that connect Europe by rail

• This year’s Rail Tourism Awards attracted 23 submissions showcasing the power of rail to connect destinations, communities and travellers. 

• Switzerland Tourism, Rail Europe, Slovenske železnice, and Sweet/Silverrail received top honours for campaigns highlighting sustainability, creativity and the emotional depth of travelling by train. 

The European Travel Commission (ETC) and Eurail have announced the winners of the 2025 Rail Tourism Awards, recognising excellence in campaigns that promote rail as an exciting, sustainable and meaningful way to explore Europe. The awards were presented at The Great Connection in Utrecht, Eurail’s inaugural collaborative gathering of marketers and creative professionals focused on how creativity, branding and storytelling can support the future of rail tourism. 

Now in its fifth edition, the Rail Tourism Awards spotlight initiatives that demonstrate the freedom, low-impact nature and cultural richness of rail travel. This year’s competition featured 23 submissions from rail operators, national tourism organisations, marketing agencies and other tourism bodies across Europe. Four awards were presented: Best International Campaign, Best National Campaign, Best Green Campaign and the Jury Prize. 

Entries were evaluated by a diverse panel of judges on creativity, relevance, centrality of rail and campaign impact. The 2025 jury included Elke Dens (The Travel Foundation), Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries (hidden Europe), Marit Ruuda (European Commission, DG Mobility and Transport), Mark Smith (“The Man in Seat 61”), and Owen Farrington (krow.x). 

Commenting on the results, Eduardo Santander, CEO of the European Travel Commission, said: 

Travellers are increasingly climate-conscious and looking for ways to explore Europe at a slower pace, with a lighter footprint and a deeper connection to the places they visit. That is why rail is stepping into the spotlight as a key driver of more sustainable tourism in Europe. This year’s winning campaigns show how creativity and strong storytelling can inspire that shift. They remind us that choosing rail travel is not only a practical and greener option, but a meaningful way to experience Europe deeper, in a more responsible and enriching way.

Eurail CEO, Carlo Boselli, added:  

The campaigns recognised today demonstrate how rail can serve as a platform for culture, creativity, and connection, revealing the broader possibilities of what rail travel can inspire across Europe. They encourage our sector to think more boldly about how we communicate, how we collaborate and how we engage the travellers of tomorrow. The experimentation behind these projects illustrates the direction in which rail tourism can continue to evolve. We were proud to celebrate this progress together at The Great Connection event.

Go Sustainable sets a new standard for business travel  

Switzerland Tourism, together with Eurostar, Evolve Events and partners, received the Best International Campaign award for Go Sustainable. This initiative reshaped expectations for international business travel by taking 35 UK event professionals on a fully rail-based journey from London to Switzerland. By turning travel time into moments of collaboration and discovery, the campaign showed how low-impact business mobility can deliver high professional value. Judges highlighted its ambition, strong cross-sector cooperation and its ability to influence a segment of travellers that is often difficult to shift towards greener choices. 

Swiss Bliss reimagines Switzerland through quiet discovery and off-season charm 

Rail Europe was recognised with the Best National Campaign award for its Swiss Bliss project. The campaign offered a refreshed view of Switzerland by shifting attention away from crowded hotspots and highlighting quieter towns, scenic secondary routes and the ease of off-season travel. Through authentic creator-led content and warm, tactile storytelling, Swiss Bliss encouraged travellers to embrace unhurried journeys and spontaneous detours made possible by the rail network. The judges praised its emotional resonance, strategic clarity and strong ability to inspire more balanced, region-diversifying travel across Switzerland. 

Sowing a Sunny Tomorrow turns Slovenia’s rail corridors into blooming community landscapes 

Slovenske železnice received the Best Green Campaign award for Sowing a Sunny Tomorrow, which transformed railway corridors across Slovenia into vibrant sunflower fields planted by children, local communities and municipalities.  The campaign used sunflowers as a symbol of renewal, biodiversity and climate-conscious travel, creating a visual and emotional link between passengers, landscapes and the rail network. The judges were particularly impressed that such an impactful initiative was delivered in-house with minimal resources. They praised its originality, strong sustainability message and ability to inspire widespread public participation rooted in local pride. 

Feelings on Track brings mental well-being to the heart of slow European travel 

Sweet and Silverrail received this year’s Jury Prize for Feelings on Track, an emotionally driven campaign connecting train travel with honest conversations about mental health. The project followed the creators of Sweden’s largest mental-health podcast, Ångestpodden, on a ten-day Interrail journey through ten countries, inviting strangers to sit in “The Conversation Seat” to share personal stories. A short film premiered at Stockholm’s Bio Rio cinema before spreading across YouTube, social media and radio. Feelings on Track stood out for turning a rail journey into a powerful cultural and social project that resonated strongly with younger audiences.