Rail travel: what's in it for a travel seller in Latin America?

Why would a travel agency in Latin America be interested in selling European train tickets?  Today, we talk to Ignacio Mujica, Director at Trenes Latinoamérica, a travel seller in Latin America who has a vision: sharing his passion for rail travel with his customers. 

Tell us about your business

Currently, we are a traditional travel agency, offering online consultancy to customers from Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. We offer a unique travel experience, train being the main transport mode we sell. This includes touristic tours in Switzerland or the high-speed rail in Spain.

Our business is a mix of online and offline, but our mid-term objective is to jump into the online world. For this purpose, Amadeus will play a key role. We want to expand our presence into new markets such as Chile, Peru, and Colombia. Our ambition not only lies into expanding into new markets but adding value to the travel experience by including bus & coach offer. We believe it is a segment that is not explored yet, and our customers will be happy with such an offering.  

Why do you see a potential in rail travel?

I believe there is a huge potential in the region to book rail travel. Europe is one of the preferred travel destinations for South American travelers, and also the most demanded one, but there is not much information on rail, neither on coach offer.

We offer a personalized online consultancy for those customers traveling to Europe. As part of the growth that European rail travel is experimenting, we want to jump to the B2C world to offer to our customers the most detailed offer of train travel in Europe. 

What are your customers looking for when it comes to rail travel?

Basically, they are looking for advice on train routes, and how to connect cities hassle-free, avoiding the stress and time that it takes to connect cities by plane. Those who have already experienced rail travel know the benefits such as direct city-to-city connections, avoiding security checks, and enjoying the landscape. For south-American travelers, this is such an experience, as rail is not popular in our continent, but also the low impact that it has in the environment.

How does Amadeus make rail booking experience easier for customers?

By having all rail and bus offering integrated into one platform, Amadeus is the perfect partner to offer most of the European railway carriers. The rich rail content helps us to serve the most demanding customers. Working together with Amadeus we can create and explore new markets, and this is key to remain competitive in today's world.

Trenes Latinoamérica is unlocking global sales growth thanks to Amadeus Value Rail, with one unique link they can sell multiple railways in Europe. If you would like to know more get in contact with us!