The Blue Train’s Durban route will be dropped in favour of a new route to the Kruger National Park in 2015. Demand for Durban has dropped while, according to Blue Train spokesperson, Themba Masheula, “the Kruger is in the top-three destinations visitors want to see while on holiday in South Africa”.
The Kruger route will make use of the Pretoria-Hazyview-Hoedspruit railway line. Guests will disembark at Hoedspruit Station and be transferred in game vehicles to Kruger Gate.
Final details of the Blue Train package are only being revealed at a later date but Themba says it will not be restrictive, so guests wanting to extend their holiday can be booked at any game lodge of their choice.
The most popular Blue Train journey remains the Pretoria-Cape Town route. Charter operations are a focus for 2015, particularly for annual events such as the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City, the Macufe Festival in Bloemfontein and the Durban July.
Corporate and MICE markets will remain important, as will honeymoon packages, source market initiatives and inbound tour operators, who are offered certain preferred rates.
The Ebola outbreak has had an impact on Blue Train business but last-minute bookings, group deals and trade education around the value of luxury train travel have all helped to stabilise matters.
Click here to see eTNW’s sister publication, Tourism Update’s, special promotional feature on The Blue Train.
