The development of tourist buses and charter services is gaining momentum, says the company’s managing director Serafino Lo Piano. “We aim at placing ourselves as a leader in this sector,” The Ferrovie dello Stato group is focusing mainly on the expansion of tourist and intermodal services in synergy with Trenitalia “through the introduction of services oriented towards leisure travel, such as the new Padua-Cortina connections, as well as those for groups.”
The construction of a network of complementary and supplementary services to rail travel to and from airports, ports and tourist locations not yet served by train, or at times not covered by rail services, is flanked by "the new Charter product line, which meets the needs of groups travelling for leisure and/or business, “explains Lo Piano. “In synergy with Trenitalia we are working to develop targeted offers for congresses, corporate events, trade fairs, and sporting events. Our aim is to become a benchmark for MICE agencies, incentive houses, and the tourism industry in general."
Busitalia's clientele varies in relation to the type of service offered. "For airport services, such as the Orio al Serio Airlink, the typical passenger is young and leisure-oriented, and more than 80% travel for holidays, or are visiting friends and relatives. International travellers top 26% from all over the world. For example, some 90% of users of the Mall by Bus, the direct train+bus service from the centre of Florence to the luxury outlet without intermediate stops, are international, with Korean, Japanese and Chinese visitors accounting for 67%.
Things change on local public transport, with a share of international travellers just under 20%, but even in this case there is a constant increase in leisure-related travel, which gives us hope for the capacity and potential of our services to intercept a demand also linked to tourism". The strategic investment that supports all this development is centered in the fleet, "with particular attention to vehicles for rail replacement services, tourism, and medium and long-distance connections. By this December some 111 new-generation Gran Turismo buses will enter into service,” an investment of over €44 million in the fleet.
