12,000 tickets issued for free rail travel

SOME 12,000 tickets for free rail travel have been issued to older tourists in the Golden Trekker scheme which was launched in March.

Overseas visitors aged 66 or over, from anywhere in the world, can benefit from unlimited travel on main line, Dart and commuter trains in the scheme.

The arrangement was developed by Fáilte Ireland and Iarnród Éireann.

It was announced as part of last December’s budget in an effort to increase visitor numbers.

A Fáilte Ireland spokesman said 12,000 four-day tickets were sought by tourists between mid-March and mid-September.

That figure was expected to have risen to 15,000 by the end of the year.

A four-day unlimited rail ticket is usually worth €100 which means that by the end of the year, the scheme will have provided free travel worth about €1.5 million to older tourists.

The scheme was introduced as a one-year pilot project and is currently under review.

Asked if it would continue after the pilot phase, a Department of Tourism spokesman said the review of the scheme was due to be completed shortly.

“The final decision as to whether the Golden Trekker scheme will be continued beyond the end of the year will be made having regard to the resources available to the tourism agencies and Iarnród Éireann, the operational demands of the scheme on those bodies and the outcome of the review, including an assessment of its overall impact on visitor intentions.”

The spokesman said the free rail scheme had generated positive coverage and very valuable free publicity for Ireland abroad and was positively received by many older visitors.

The free travel scheme has been highlighted on websites of news organisations such as the New York Times, Dallas Morning News, Los Angeles Timesand the Times of India. Fáilte Ireland has said a survey of Golden Trekker ticket holders found that one in five people said the scheme had influenced their decision to come to Ireland.

Half of the ticket holders said it had influenced their decision to travel around Ireland by train.

A Fáilte Ireland spokesman said the tourism agency was “very much in favour” of the scheme continuing.

“It’s another weapon in our armoury to encourage older people with disposable income to come here,” the spokesman added.

“It also encourages people coming to Ireland to travel around the country, instead of staying in Dublin.”