A train tour theme inspired by the famous ‘Group of Seven’ painters gets more bookings. Here's how you can do the same when you choose the right scenic train tour ticketing software.
A train tour theme can bring new guests to the station, ones who may not ordinarily consider sightseeing by rail as an activity. Themes can be widely diverse, from mixing historical events with gourmet food to capturing the hearts of those wishing to travel back in time to a bygone era. For train operators cost is always a concern and that's why themes are so popular. Themes can be put into place at a relatively low overhead price, yet yield big returns.
In Northeastern Ontario, the famous group of painters known as the Group of Seven are the source of inspiration for one train tour's theme.
For the uninitiated, the Group of Seven were artistes extraordinaire who traveled throughout northern Canada, specifically the Algoma district, painting landscapes at each scenic stop. During the years from 1920 to 1933 the painters formed a school of sorts which put the beauty of nature in the highest regard ("Terra nullius"). The Algonquin school generated a body of work that is known the world over, most of which can be seen in the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto and the National Gallery of Canada.
The Group of Seven have become so famous, the Coalition for Algoma Passenger Trains has annual Group of Seven themed train tour. The coalition describes itself as an entity which "recognizes the significant economic, cultural and environmental value of passenger trains." The tour is called 'The Group of Seven and Glenn Gould Train Event' and is scheduled for this September as the leaves of the landscape change color. Note the added attraction of on-board musical entertainment by Canada’s internationally celebrated pianist Glenn Gould.
The Group of Seven train tour routinely sells all of the available $400 tickets. And the consistent sell outs hint at why themes work - because of the wider appeal. In the case of the coalition's tour theme, railroad enthusiasts, music lovers, and, of course, fans of the Group of Seven's artwork, are all very well served.
The ticket sales-savvy application of a theme can be created in other parts of the country, using the same combination of music and art, just like the coalition has done. Famous painters roamed all over America for their artistic inspiration, it is only a matter of finding out who they are and creating a theme around the artwork. After defining the source of inspiration for your theme, the next step is to chose the right scenic train tour ticketing software.
And unlike live music concerts, train ride operators are under Federal law to know exactly who is on board. Our technology not only enables compliance with passenger manifests, it integrates barcode ticket scanning to make the process nearly automatic.
We can help you cho-cho-choose the best plan based on your current and projected passenger ticket estimates. We can also get you up and running with handheld barcode scanners to rent or buy. Once you start selling tickets online, we are sure you’ll never look back to the labor intensive paper tickets of yesteryear.
