Transport weighs heavily in the carbon footprint of a trip. With the rise of sustainable tourism, it is essential to opt for environmentally friendly modes of transport, such as the train, which pollutes 8 times less than the car and 14 times less than the plane, according to ADEME. But to encourage more tourists to take the train, the sector must propose an offer adapted to their needs. More links, better connections, attractive fares and a wide choice of timetables are all necessary to ensure that as many people as possible adopt the train. Although many projects in this direction are underway, there is still a long way to go before we reach our destination.
An increasingly trendy mode of transport
New terms are constantly appearing in the French tourism vocabulary, most recently the term tågskryt. A Swedish word that expresses the pride of taking the train, very popular on social networks to show its commitment to a more responsible tourism. A term in total opposition to flygskam, which is the fact of being ashamed to take the plane to travel. By valuing the train, tourists who use this hashtag are saying that the train is an integral part of the journey.
A trend that is continuing in France according to the latest study by Trainline in collaboration with YouGov. In fact, 30% of French people preferred the train once or twice to travelling by car in 2022 and 22% of those surveyed said they had taken the train once or twice in 2022 rather than flying. And despite what one might think, the figures are higher among the over 50s than among the younger generations. The study also highlights a particular appetite for night trains. For example, bookings for trains running between 5pm and 6am have increased by 149% compared to last year.
Although a large proportion of French people pay attention to the ecological impact of their mode of transport when they choose it, 52% still say that the price factor is what prevents them from taking a greener mode of transport. Among 25-34 year olds, this proportion even rises to 61%. 53% also said that they would be prepared to travel more by train if the government and others took action to reduce prices.
In a context of opening up to competition, travellers are beginning to have the reflex to compare the fares offered by the different rail operators. A good reflex, because the liberalisation of the railways has already had a...
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