Eurostar eyes business travel market

Eurostar director of UK sales, Emma Harris says the company is focussing its efforts on attracting more business travellers. Speaking to TravelMole at yesterday’s Guild of Business Travel Agents lunch, Ms Harris said: “We have conquered the leisure market but the business market has been less quick to take up. It will always be a struggle to attract business travellers who fly regularly. They enjoy their frequent flier miles, they know the girl in the lounge so they fly every time, no matter where they are going.” According to Ms Harris, Eurostar has about 80% of the leisure traffic between London and Paris and between 45% and 50% of the business traffic. Ms Harris says taking the train to Paris is more relaxing and a better use of time for business travellers. She says they can choose to work, relax, read or eat. And when Eurostar introduces new trains from September it will be easier to stay in touch with the office, as it hopes to have wireless internet and laptop power points in some business carriages. One of the first business travel initiatives – to introduce ten minute check-in for people holding the fully flexible business tickets – was introduced at Waterloo yesterday. Ms Harris says that numerous focus groups have revealed that some consumers who are not regular Eurostar customers perceive the service as being slower than travelling by air to Paris and Brussels. “This is a complete misconception among consumers” said Ms Harris. She added: “Once we get the message through to the business market it has a halo effect on the leisure market, because not only are business travellers also leisure travellers, but it has the effect of improving brand awareness.”