Eurostar Enjoys Solid First Half in 2013 Jul 18th 2013, 15:39
Across the first half of 2013 Eurostar enjoyed strong growth in international travelers with revenues up 7 percent year-on-year to £453 million ($690 million), passengers up 2 percent year-on-year to 4.9 million; and U.S. sales revenues up 18 percent. The year began flat due to adverse weather conditions, but in the second quarter passenger traffic grew 4 percent year-on-year, compelling Eurostar to increase summer capacity with 200 more services on the London/Paris route.
According to Nicolas Petrovic, chief executive of Eurostar, “We have seen a surge in booking from outside Europe and our new service to Provence has proved a great success with many services running at full capacity.”
Sales revenues from bookings originating outside the European Union grew by 17 percent in the first half of the year compared with the same period in 2012, and by 18 percent in the U.S.
Leisure sales grew by 8 percent in the first half, thanks to new routes including a new winter ski service to the Swiss Alps as well as the “Route du Soleil,” connecting London with Lyon, Avignon (TGV) and Aix-en-Provence (TGV). The Route du Soleil was given an eight-week trial from May 4 to June 29 and sold 90 percent of its seats over that period. Now Eurostar is planning year-round service on the route.
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