Travel slowly and sustainably to discover the cultural wonders of Italy from a new perspective. It's the new one challenge launched by Ferrovie dello Stato Group presenting, FS TTI - Italian Tourist Trains, a new company headed by Trenitalia's Polo Passeggeri. Indeed, TTI's mission is to offer railway services specially designed for a high quality, sustainable and aware that makes you discover the beauties of the Italian territory in a different way.
Presentation frame was the National Railway Museum of Pietrarsa, former Bourbon workshops in Naples, where the first Italian railway was built. The official launch of FS TTI took place with the arrival of a historic train from Rome Termini which brought guests and journalists directly to the event. Testimonial of the evening Lino Banfi, linked to trains for his role as a former railwayman in the TV series "A doctor in the family".
“We are traveling in a 1990 carriage that the Fs built for the 90 World Cup, in a period of maximum impulse for tourism. - has explained Louis Cantamessa, Chief Executive Officer of FS Italian Tourist Trains – The story has changed but over time the tourist demand has become more structured and today it exceeds, or is borderline, with the business one”.
The corporate structure of TTI - Italian Tourist Trains
FS Italian Tourist Trains will collaborate closely with the FS Italiane Foundation, which will retain ownership of a vast fleet of nearly 400 protected historic vehicles. TTI will do part of the Passenger Pole working in synergy with the various Trenitalia Business Departments, including High Speed, Intercity, Regional.
TTI will acquire the assets and rolling stock from the commercial park of Trenitalia, which, after undergoing modernization, will form a fleet of Italian trains designed specifically for the needs of tourists, including also cars for religious tourism. In a subsequent phase, the new company will also acquire real estate assets, such as workshops for overhauling, fitting out and maintaining trains. The company will have dedicated staff, including drivers, conductors and maintenance workers, trained according to the latest tourism standards.
Louis Cantamessa will be the Chief Executive Officer of FS Italian Tourist Trains. President will be Alessandro Vannini Scatoli. The Board of Directors is made up of Liberius AndreattaLuigi Cantamessa Maria Luisa Grilletta e Cynthia Marzoli.
TTI's offer: three services designed for all travellers
They are three services that Treni Turistici Italiani will offer to passengers with the aim of capturing different segments of tourists: luxury, express and historic trains and regional omnibuses.
- Luxury: dedicated to more elite tourism, it will offer luxury services with prestigious trains, including the Orient Express – La Dolce Vita, an Italian luxury train (in collaboration with Arsenale Group) which will start operations in 2024, and the famous Venice Simplon Orient Express by Belmond, already active on European routes.
- Express and Historic Trains: a way to live a new train experience. No high speed but a slow train that will "gently" take the passenger to their destination. New connections will be introduced, including night and day trains between the main Italian cities and tourist locations of interest (for example night or day trains from Rome/Milan to Calalzo/Cortina, San Candido, Milan – Genoa with branches for Ventimiglia/Livorno; Rome – Metaponto – Catanzaro via Jonica and Reggio Calabria). Express links will be operated with cars from the 80s and 90s, subjected to a complete renovation and adapted (with a view to sustainability) exclusively for tourism at the Rimini railway workshops. These workshops will become a center specialized in the refurbishment of cars, with differentiated services such as restaurant carriages with on-board kitchens, sleeping carriages, meeting carriages, and spaces for the transport of bicycles, skis and vehicles for sustainable mobility. The Restaurant Car, which has become obsolete with high speed, will be reintroduced in this mode. TTI will also manage the historic trains belonging to the FS Foundation, in various regions and places of historical and scenic interest in Italy. Specific programs will be organized on a regular basis, combining the train journey with guided tours, walks and tastings during the stops.
- Omnibus-Regional: it will be the accessible category that will offer popular prices. These are services that will guarantee the circulation of regional trains on weekends, at advantageous rates accessible to all, on lines that cross territories rich in history, with villages and areas of scenic and naturalistic interest with peculiar food and wine and agri-food traditions. Also in this case, the planning of the trip, the stops and the timetables will be specifically designed to offer a meaningful tourist experience. They will be specially prepared to ensure intermodality with HS services.
TTI born to respond to the growing demand for tourism
FS Italian Tourist Trains will respond to growing demand for rail tourism in Italy and will promote a truly sustainable tourism. It will offer the opportunity to reach both famous and less known destinations, outside the classic tourist circuits.
By 2030, the number of world travelers is expected to reach 2 billion. Of these tourists, a significant number will choose Italy as their destination, with particularly expected growth coming from Asia. Currently, theItaly occupies the fifth position worldwide for the number of tourists, with around 56 million international arrivals recorded in 2022, and that number is estimated to grow to over 75 million in 2023.
A recent study, conducted by the Bocconi University of Milan on behalf of the FS Foundation, revealed that every traveler who purchases services with the historic-tourist train spends at least 1 euro, but this has a multiplier effect that leads to a total expenditure of 1,50 euro up to 3,18 euro in goods and services offered by the areas crossed. This multiplier effect, in the FS plans, will contribute to generating wealth and economic benefits for the internal areas of the country.
Ferraris: contributing to the development of quality tourism
Monsignor took part in the presentation Liberius Andreatta, President of the FS Foundation, the managing director of FS, Luigi Ferraris, the Chief Executive Officer of Trenitalia, Louis Corradi, the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Edward Rixi, and Karima Delli, President of the Commission for Transport and Tourism of the European Parliament. To the new AD Cantamessa the role of illustrating the mission and characteristics of the company.
“The train is the best choice to appreciate the beauties of Italy. Still able to make us dream, it allows us to grasp the essence of the wonders that Italy has to offer, all in an efficient and safe way” explained the CEO of the FS Italiane Group Luigi Ferraris introducing the new company. The newco FS Italian Tourist Trains was born to reaffirm the authoritative role of the FS Group in one of the leading sectors for the country's economy. We thus intend to contribute to the revitalization and development of quality, sustainable and aware tourism, ready to appreciate the riches of our territories, rediscovering less known places. Another goal is to make the train journey an integral part of the customer's experience and create synergies with other tourist activities: from guided visits to historical-archaeological complexes to trekking up to tastings of typical agri-food products, so as to enhance the traditions and economies of the territories crossed". “FS Italian Tourist Trains – concludes Ferraris – undertakes to preserve the myth of the train, even in an era in which high-speed trains dominate, allowing everyone to appreciate the beauties of Italy and experience moments of reflection and recollection.
“Italian tourist trains is a new thing and it's nice to present it here in Pietrarsa where there is history. It is a strategic company for FS because in recent months tourism has been the master: 75 million tourists are expected this summer between July, August and September. And the regional train is experiencing enormous success. We are transporting tourists on the weekend who go to the beach and to the mountains during the day. There is not only a capillary service, for business and for those who have to go home, but we need a service dedicated 100% to tourism. Hence the idea of the new company was born. A service dedicated to tourism which puts the tourist at the center starting from the itineraries. We believe it is the future of the Group and we are sure Trenitalia will make it great” said the CEO of Trenitalia, Louis Corradi.
“The dry branches (the old abandoned lines) are green again” – he explained Louis Cantamessa – “These trains will touch all the most beautiful areas of our peninsula, where with high speed you don't get. There will initially be around ten connections which will expand over the three-year period and will cover the holidays of Italians. The blue train is the livery that distinguishes FS Italian Tourist Trains. The carriages will look for the color and the services on board. All with the reuse of the existing in a sustainable perspective. The first open carriage will also arrive soon. We want to give the mindset of tourism, as soon as you step on the train.”
