FIT Ruums, the Asian B2B travel distributor, has formed a new partnership with Rail Europe that will enable the region’s travel agents to book European train tickets and passes.

The arrangement between will initially be rolled out in South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan, before expanding to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, China and India in the second phase.

Rail Europe works with Europe’s largest rail companies, including France’s SNCF, Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, Italy’s Trenitalia, the UK’s Virgin Trains, and the cross-channel Eurostar, offering single and return journey tickets, national and regional rail passes on a wide range of rail services, including sleeper trains, high-speed railways and scenic routes.

And Asian demand for European rail travel is booming; the number of Asians travelling on European trains reached 1.05 million in the first five months of 2017, 9.6% more than same period last year.

The most popular European destination for Asian rail travellers is Switzerland, followed by the UK, France, Spain, the Netherlands and Germany. And Switzerland Tourism confirmed that it is actively targeting Asian travellers as a means of enhancing the country’s overall tourism industry.

“Scenic services like the Bernina Express – the highest railway across the Alps – and the spectacular Glacier Express, are not only means of transport but also attractions in their own right,” said Ivan Breiter, Switzerland Tourism’s director for Southeast Asia. “We are already seeing a sharp rise in the number of Asian visitors travelling on our trains, so we welcome this new collaboration between FIT Ruums and Rail Europe.

“I am confident it will lead to many more Asian travellers experiencing the beauty of Switzerland by rail in future,” he added.

Daryl Lee, director of FIT Ruums’ parent company, WebBeds FZ, commented; “With modern trains and extensive national and cross-border networks, Europe’s railways are a great way of exploring the continent. With more and more Asian travellers discovering the joy of European rail travel, this is a great time to be partnering with Rail Europe.

“As Asian demand for European travel continues to surge, FIT Ruums is ready to become a key strategic partner for Rail Europe in this all-important market,” he added.

Effective immediately, Rail Europe’s travel agency partners in South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan will be able to contact a dedicated email address – rail@fitruums.com – to request a quotation for their clients.