Setting their eyes on India for the first time, Orient Express, owners or part-owners and managers of 45 hotel, restaurant, cruise and luxury rail businesses, has appointed The Luxury Trains as its agent in the country. Addressing the press at a briefing in Mumbai, Marco Rosa, Global Sales and Marketing Director, Trains and Cruises, Orient Express stated that lack of awareness so far has led to a low demand from the Indian market for the company’s products. “India is definitely on our map now, and this is a great time to showcase what we offer to the travellers here,” he added.
The market, he said, will be tapped through travel agents, and the company is in talk with several trade members to test the market and plan their promotional strategy accordingly. Appointing an agent, he added, is their first step toward the same. Ashish Saran, Group General Manager, The Luxury Trains, said that the company will target experienced agents in the field and build strategic relations with them, for instance, credit card companies of resorts.
Orient Express is set to launch Orcaella, its new boat that will traverse the Myanmar Rivers, by July next year. The boat will offer four new itineraries, two for 11 nights, and two for seven nights. It will also be the first boat of the company to sail on the Chindwin River. Furthermore, the company’s existing train, The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, will offer a new route in April 2013 from Venice to Stockholm on a two-night rail voyage, via an overnight stop in Copenhagen. It is the first time the train will enter Stockholm. The whole voyage is a seven-night itinerary.
