Europe’s Famous Hostels wins European Travel Commission competition spot in ‘Year of Rail’ campaign
Published: 3 February 2022
Europe’s Famous Hostels (EFH) wins European Travel Commission competition for most promising, ‘Year of Rail’ campaign. Last night, EFH picked up the award in Engelberg, Switzerland.
For years, the topic of travel evoked feelings of wander, exploration, and human connection. It helps many people bridge their own lives to the broader spectrum of the world, and brings people closer together. The idea of international families became more prominent, and travel became more accessible to the masses. The world is more connected than it ever.
And then some pretty big events happened. Climate change became a hot topic, and the role travel played in it could no longer be ignored. And – as we all know too well – COVID hit, halting virtually everyone from travelling for a few years.
But as the world slowly crawls out of the pandemic, and sustainable travel is becoming a trend, the idea of getting out and exploring doesn’t feel as daunting or harmful as it once did.
While we still have a ways to go, governments and associations are starting to pay attention to ways we can explore without causing so much damage to the planet. And one of the ways we can get around is by way of train.
Europe’s Famous Hostels wins European Travel Commission competition spot in ‘Year of Rail’ campaign
Let’s Get Into Some History. Briefly.
But let’s back up a bit. If you know anything about European history or politics, you’ve probably heard of something called the European Union (EU). And if you’re really into the topics, you’ve likely heard of the Treaty of Maastricht. This was more or less the final piece in bringing European countries closer together both in a market context, as well as in an accessibility and community context. The treaty was signed in 1992, which more or less made borders between member states ‘invisible’. This also meant transportation methods, such as trains, could pass from one country to the next with no hassle.
From there, train travel, or ‘interrailing’ (as many backpackers avidly call it) became one of the main methods of getting around and exploring the continent. In the early to mid 2000s, the aviation market momentarily took over, offering cheaper tickets and faster commutes. But as we said before, people, associations, and governments have started to take notice on how those choices harm our planet. So while there was a temporary dip in ‘interrailing’ prior to the pandemic, its attractiveness and popularity are reemerging. And with a vengeance. We think the re-introduction of night trains across the continent is a rather solid indication things are looking up in the rail industry.
Europe’s Famous Hostels wins European Travel Commission competition spot in ‘Year of Rail’ campaign
Fast Forward to Now
But why is this happening? Quite simply, ‘interrailing’ is becoming accessible again. And while it’s true that Europe doesn’t have its own railing system, rail companies all over the continent are bringing back services where they’re seeing demand. And beyond that, cheaper options are emerging in the market, causing the big players to rethink their prices and strategies.
The European Travel Commission (ETC) deemed 2021 the, ‘Year of Rail’, and had an open-call for campaign submissions to support the idea. In essence, the ETC wanted to hear from industry players and their ideas on how to get travellers out of the skies and on to rails. And with Europe’s Famous Hostels being a veteran in the travel and backpacking world, we wanted to participate. And out of several submissions from across the continent, our campaign won in the ‘Most Promising Campaign’ category!
What Is Our Campaign?
Having partnered with Interrail for the past 5 years, Europe’s Famous Hostels saw the benefit of train travel, or ‘interrailing’. Aptly called, ‘Eco-Wanderer’, our campaign goal is to motivate backpackers to explore the continent from the comfort of a train.
But how does it work exactly? Once travellers have their Interrail ticket, they can head over to famoushostels.com and go to our CO2 conversion calculator. From there, users can enter their departure point and destination, and get a calculation for how much CO2 they’ve saved by opting for a train. Once they get their savings amount, participants can cash this in at their destination Famous Hostel for discounts and other cool perks. Essentially, we want to reward travellers for their greener choices.
But the rewards don’t stop there. ‘Eco-Wanderers’ will also get the chance throughout the year to participate in green initiatives and other challenges hosted by our hostels across Europe and Israel. The more you engage in the campaign, the more points you accumulate, and the bigger the prize. At the end of the year our top, ‘Eco-Wanderer’ will receive a one month Interrail pass, as well as free accommodation at our hostels.
Check out out our promotional video for Eco-Wanderer:
Eco-Wanderer officially launches on March 25th, 2022.
Europe’s Famous Hostels wins European Travel Commission competition spot in ‘Year of Rail’ campaign
We believe the Eco-Wanderer goals are synonymous with not only the ETC and the EU, but also with young travellers. Helping people fulfill their travel dreams while being kind to the planet, is something we strive for. Being a community driven association, we believe in unity across Europe, and truly feel richer for it. We do better when we’re connected, even if it’s just a train ride away.
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