Railbookers targets Canadian growth as domestic and luxury rail demand rises on day two of the 2026 global summit

Railbookers is stepping up its investment in Canada, expanding its business development team and looking to capitalize on growing demand for independent, customizable rail vacations, according to the company's senior executives.

Canada now accounts for approximately 15 per cent of Railbookers' overall revenue, with the market continuing to grow alongside the company, president and CEO Frank Marini told PAX during the company's recent Global Summit 2026 in Vancouver, held at the historic Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. 

The summit’s second day ended with a sweet and savoury treat where the ballroom was transformed into a “Swiss postcard” featuring an alpenhorn player and Swiss treats like cheese and chocolate fondue and other national Alpen specialties like a rösti and schnitzel station.

“Behind every dream there’s a person, and you make those dreams come true,” said
Christelle Deillion, sales and marketing manager for North America, at Travel Switzerland.

Train-ed Pros in Canada

"Canada and Canadian advisors are super important for us," Marini said. "The market has embraced us so much, and we're very thankful for that."

Marini attributed much of that success to the Canadian traveller's appetite for independent travel and customized itineraries, a natural fit for Railbookers' business model.

"Canadians are naturally very good travellers. They're very independent, and what we offer is independent, customizable trips, particularly to Europe," he said.  Railbookers' most popular international destinations among Canadian customers include Switzerland, Italy, Ireland and Europe's imperial cities, alongside Australia and New Zealand. Alaska is also performing well in the Canadian market.

But the company's Canadian business is increasingly extending beyond international destinations.  Cris David, Railbookers' vice-president of global sales, said domestic Canada has emerged as the company's third-most-popular destination among Canadian customers, an interesting development in a market traditionally associated with international rail vacations.

"We've seen a big shift towards demand for domestic travel," David said, suggesting changing travel patterns could be contributing to the trend.

A travel advisor for the travel advisor

"The most precious asset we all have, and specifically for travel advisor, is their time,” said Marini.

Railbookers positions itself as a specialist partner for travel advisors looking to incorporate rail into their clients' vacations without having to navigate the complexities of multiple rail networks and suppliers themselves.

Marini describes the company as "the travel agent for the travel agent," pointing to the time and expertise required to coordinate rail tickets, hotels, transfers, sightseeing and activities.

Rather than requiring advisors to work with multiple suppliers, Railbookers can coordinate the various components of an itinerary through a single point of contact.

“It’s nice that I can turn to a one-stop organization with trained professionals that know the intricacies of rail travel in all countries, but what I really love that we can just put a deposit down like a traditional package and pay make the final payments later,” said Brittany Gemmell, Marlin Travel / Nanaimo, Transat who was hand-picked to represent Canadian travel advisors at the summit.

“With a lot of these things, you have to pay them in full. They can also secure rail way ahead of time than if I were booking something individually. They’ve got space and inventory.”

Rail systems around the world operate differently, with varying ticketing timelines, booking processes, routes and classes of service. The Railbookers' team helps advisors navigate those differences, identify suitable routes and seating, and assemble itineraries around their clients' needs. The only aspect they won’t touch is air.

A hands-on approach 

According to David, their expertise is particularly relevant to domestic Canadian travel. Although consumers can book directly with VIA Rail, incorporating rail into a broader vacation involving accommodation, sightseeing and other activities can require considerably more time and planning.

"That's really where we come in," he said. "We're supporting the travel agents and creating these itineraries that include the rail journeys, along with other experiences, to provide a more comprehensive offering."

The company also frequently participates in three-way calls with advisors and their clients, allowing its account executives to answer technical rail questions directly.

"We'll do a three-way call and just answer the questions for the customer, and then we'll drop off the call," Marini said.

Selling the destination, not just the train

According to Marini, one of the biggest opportunities for advisors is changing how they position rail vacations.

Rather than necessarily selling a rail journey as the primary product, he encourages advisors to begin with the destination and build rail transportation into the broader vacation experience.

"If someone wants to go to Italy or Switzerland, we'll get an idea of what they want to do, what they want to see and when they want to travel," he explained.

In many cases, clients initially approach Railbookers looking for an independent vacation rather than a specifically rail-focused experience.

"They're looking at independent travel, but then it's, 'Oh, I never thought about going by rail. I didn't know the train went there,'" Marini said.

Pricing is another consideration. Rail fares are dynamic, meaning prices can change depending on availability, travel dates and the type of service selected. Railbookers live-shops itineraries when advisors request a quote, allowing them to provide current pricing rather than relying on fixed rates that may no longer be available.

Marini said the company works with advisors to balance clients' budgets against factors such as travel season, rail class, hotel quality and the overall length of their vacation.

Luxury rail and alternative itineraries 

Luxury rail is another area experiencing increased demand across Railbookers' international source markets.

David said the company has seen a significant rise in business involving luxury trains and itineraries featuring premium rail experiences.

"There’s been an increase in luxury rail, definitely, it's been a major trend across all the source markets with Railbookers," he said.

The trend reflects a broader interest in experiential travel, with Canadian customers also showing an appetite for more distinctive rail journeys.

Canadian travellers are booking a range of luxury rail products, including Vancouver’s Rocky Mountaineer and other international luxury train experiences.

Getting river cruising under control

Railbookers has also seen an unexpected opportunity emerge from disruptions to European river cruising due to low water levels on the Rhine, Danube and Maine.

David said these cancellations generated additional inquiries and bookings for Railbookers, as advisors looked for alternative ways to deliver the European vacation their clients had planned.

The company has been able to put together replacement itineraries using rail, allowing travellers to experience similar destinations without relying on the affected river routes.

New opportunities in China and Canadian rail

Beyond its core European business, Railbookers is preparing to reopen China as a destination following its suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company plans to begin with packages covering key destinations including Beijing, Xi'an and Hong Kong, with further expansion expected as demand develops. Marini said the decision reflects growing interest in China as a destination, including from travellers in other Asian markets following the company's expansion into Singapore last year.

Closer to home, Railbookers is also keeping an eye on Canada's proposed ALTO high-speed rail project between Toronto and Quebec City.

The company has already participated in discussions with consultants involved in the initiative, offering its perspective as a tour operator specializing in rail vacations. While the project remains a longer-term prospect, Marini said any development that raises the profile of rail travel is positive for the industry.

"Anytime there's more rail travel, it's always a good thing," he said. "It highlights rail travel, whether it's luxury, high-speed or different areas."

Expanding Canadian trade support

To support continued growth, Railbookers has expanded its Canadian business development presence, with representation on both the east and west coasts.

The company recently added Clementina Ianuzzi, formerly with Air Canada Vacations, to its Canadian team. David said her industry experience, existing agency relationships and understanding of the Canadian travel landscape made her a strong addition.

"We were hoping we'd find somebody who was experienced and understood the industry landscape," he said. "She brings existing travel agency relationships, the reputation of trust and all of those relationships to the table."

Marini said the company has also added another business development manager in Ontario and plans to continue building its team across the country.

"We want to keep expanding our business development across the provinces," Marini said. "It's all about building relationships, because that's where the education comes from."

Looking ahead to 2027, Marini sees considerable potential in Canada, particularly as more advisors become familiar with the breadth of rail experiences available to their clients.

The company is also exploring the use of artificial intelligence to improve internal operations, including analyzing the journey from initial quote to confirmed booking and identifying trends across different markets. However, Marini stressed that technology will not replace the human element of the company's customer service.

"I'm not looking to replace our people. I'm not going to have a chatbot online that you're talking to," he said.

Given the complexity and flexibility of rail itineraries, he believes direct conversations remain essential to understanding what clients and advisors actually need.

"When you have something that you can make anything you want it to be, there needs to be some kind of dialogue," he said.

For Railbookers, the Canadian opportunity ultimately comes down to helping advisors sell more independent travel with rail providing the connections.

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