Eurostar reports increase in sales revenue in 2017
Eurostar says strong business travel and an increase in sales from overseas markets outside Europe, which had declined following the terrorist attacks in Brussels last year, are key reasons for 6% sales revenue growth for the first six months of 2017.
The figures (£452.6 million compared with last year’s £428.4m) are at constant exchange rates. Its sales grew 11% at actual exchange rates (£455m in 2017 against £409m in 2016). And passenger numbers were up 1% in the period, rising from 4.97 million in 2016 to 5.04 million in 2017.
In particular, the number of US-based travellers has risen (up 24%), while the number of travellers from the rest of the world has increased by 18%.
“We have recorded good growth in the first six months of the year with a marked increase in traffic from the US and overseas markets,” said Eurostar Chief Executive Nicolas Petrovic.
“This is testament to the enduring popularity of our destinations combined with favourable exchange rates.
“The outlook for the second half is promising, with a busy summer season and bookings for the autumn up on last year,”
The company said business travel was up 5% compared with the corresponding period in 2016.
This was prevalent in the UK, where the volume of business travellers rose 7% against the previous year.
Eurostar added that summer season bookings remain strong, and that the company was looking to grow this further through an investment programme that includes WiFi, on-board entertainment and a virtual reality experience called ‘Odyssey’ that allows people to explore the depths of the sea.
For the latter, passengers can log on to the train’s on-board entertainment system through their smart phones using free headsets, and see the virtual train roof transform into a glass ceiling revealing an underwater world.