Trenord, the Lombardy rail company, enhances tourism by intercepting new tourists.
Rail tourism: a strategic lever for sustainable mobility
Leonardo Cesarini - ph credits: Cristian CastelnuovoRail tourism in Lombardy continues to grow as a strategic lever for sustainable mobility. Trenord, with an increasingly integrated network of transport and destinations, is registering a sharp increase in numbers this year. The company is focusing on partnerships and targeted projects to intercept tourist flows, enhance the areas in which it operates, and support the supply chain. ItaliAbsolutely spoke with Leonardo Cesarini, chief commercial officer Trenord which for years has been investing in the integration of trains and destinations in Lombardy, with an eye on sustainable tourism.
Let's start with the balance sheet: how has 2025 been so far?
“It has been a very positive year: over 8.2 million travellers have chosen our trains to travel to tourist destinations in the region at weekends and during the summer months. The Gite in Treno tickets, which combine travel and experience, have already exceeded 102,500. In nine months we equalled the numbers for the whole of 2024. The lakes remain the undisputed stars: 50,000 people chose the train+boat formula, which combines simplicity and practicality.”
And looking to the future?
“The great challenge is called the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Games. As a regional transport sponsor we will boost connections from Milan to the competition venues, to better welcome tourists and fans. But the winter of 2025-26 will also bring the Snow Trains, integrated train+shuttle+skipass tickets, a hassle-free way to travel to Lombardy's ski resorts.”
What key messages are you bringing here to the travel show in Rimini?
“We will present our integrated tourism solutions together with Navigazione Laghi. We want to emphasize how sustainability requires a systematic vision, in which different means of transport dialogue. We will achieve tangible results – in travellers and tickets sold – that reflect steady growth, and this travel show will also be an opportunity to launch the new guide created with Lonely Planet which is an invitation to discover Lombardy by train.”
And when it comes to working with the territories?
“We have been working for some time with institutions, consortia and local operators with our Gite in Treno project. The objective is twofold: to convince people to leave their cars at home and bring them to lesser-known destinations. In 2024 we strengthened this approach through our partnership with Discovera, a single platform where you can buy complete packages, integrating mobility and tourism services. Then we are thinking about international hospitality: with the Malpensa Express we are promoting more sustainable travel to and from the airport, while with our official account on WeChat we are talking directly with Chinese travellers who are increasingly attentive to connected and green travel.”
Generating value and concrete opportunities
Trenord's strategy goes beyond simple passenger transport, the objective being to create an integrated model of mobility and tourism that generates both value for the territories and concrete opportunities for operators. The train thus becomes not only a means, but a competitive asset to develop a more sustainable, accessible and international type of tourism.
