The tourism division of KiwiRail, Great Journeys New Zealand, is “exceeding sales expectations” with its premium tours, regional rail packages and new Scenic Plus premium dining experiences.
So far this financial year, the rail company has transported approximately 190,000 passengers.
This is about 82 per cent of pre-Covid levels, but revenue is up despite the lower numbers.
Executive GM Passenger Tracey Goodall said this is due to a new strategy, moving away from volume and focusing on delivering premium rail visitor experiences.
“Our new strategy saw the launch of several new tourism products post-Covid, including multi-day fully guided rail tours, self-guided rail packages, rail event packages and Scenic Plus,” she said.
As part of that strategy, Great Journeys New Zealand created a selection of regionally focused short-break rail packages, allowing customers to experience less-frequented New Zealand regional destinations through “off the beaten track” rail experiences.
“We know that many domestic and overseas travellers are looking for experiences with a lower carbon footprint and we are excited to see our strategy paying off as we move towards the end of the financial year.
“Our regionally focused short-break packages are already generating revenue in excess of expectations and this business area continues to grow at pace.”
Great Journeys New Zeland’s top-selling tour, the Signature ‘Up Close’ tour, is valued at $15,000.
Last year, the New York Times named the 17-day trip as the fourth best thing to do in the world.
Packages for all four departure dates for ‘The Southerner Returns’, which offers a unique opportunity to journey by train between Christchurch and Dunedin, are sold out.
The brand new Matariki evening experience train to Kaikōura has also sold out well in advance.
“It’s great to see so many people excited to experience New Zealand by rail,” says Ms Goodall.
