The group of experts in rail tourism from UIC TopRail held its first meeting of 2025 in Madrid at the Spanish Railway Foundation (Fundación de Ferrocarriles Españoles), coinciding with the 45th edition of FITUR, one of the three most important tourism fairs in the world.
FITUR 2025, taking place from 24 to 26 January 2025 at the IFEMA Exhibition Centre in Madrid, brought together 9,500 companies from 156 countries, showcasing the offerings of 884 exhibitors across nine pavilions. Within this international environment, UIC TopRail took the opportunity to visit Renfe’s stand and explore new perspectives on the future of rail tourism.
Key objectives defined for 2025
During this meeting, UIC TopRail outlined its strategic goals for 2025, focusing on promoting sustainability, enhancing the traveller experience, and positioning rail tourism as a key option in the travel sector.
The main initiatives include:
1. Launch of the Tourism-Friendly Categorisation and T-F Awards
These awards will be unveiled during the UIC High Speed Congress, taking place in July in Beijing. This event will serve as a key platform to highlight projects and innovations in the rail sector. Find out more at: uichighspeed.org.
2. Focus on sustainable tourism
The UIC Sustainability Action Week, scheduled from 11 March in Paris, will provide a space to exchange ideas on sustainable tourism and its impact on the sector. Register now for the Sustainable Tourism Workshop at: https://uic.org/events/sustainability-action-week-2025.
3. Analysis of future demand
Trends and traveller needs will be examined to better understand rail as the preferred mode of transport for leisure, reinforcing trains as a sustainable and attractive option for the future of travel.
Furthermore, the preliminary results of the Future Rail Tourism Survey will be shared during the UIC Sustainability Action Week. The survey will remain open until 3 March, and contributions are welcome at: Survey Link.
The rise of rail tourism
Growing interest in train travel as a sustainable mode of transport reflects its vast potential as a business opportunity. Railway companies are not only promoting trains as an environmentally friendly option but also as a comfortable and appealing travel experience for passengers.
A global tourism perspective for 2025
Projections by the UN Tourism Organisation indicate that international tourist arrivals are expected to increase by between 3% to 5% in 2025 compared to 2024, assuming continued recovery in Asia and the Pacific, as well as solid growth across most other regions.
In 2025, balancing growth with sustainability will be essential. This vision is reflected by two key trends identified by experts:
- Embracing sustainable practices in travel.
- Exploring lesser-known destinations, offering new opportunities for more localised and environmentally conscious tourism.
These trends highlight the growing importance of initiatives like UIC TopRail and innovative solutions like Renfe’s Spain Rail Pass, which aim to align rail tourism with sustainability and innovation to meet the evolving demands tourism worldwide.
#RailTourism #SustainableTourism #TopRail #UICRail #MoreTrains #FutureofTravel
