Train travel is enjoying a booming renaissance, and Europeans are all for it, according to new research.

A survey of 11,000 people commissioned by rail manufacturer Hitachi Rail found that almost half of the respondents intend to travel more by train and less by plane in the next five years.

Globally, over seven in ten said they would use public transport more if it were better connected, and over half would use it even if it cost more.

Rail travel is on the rise in Europe

The new research found that citizens in countries around Europe and in North America anticipate train travel to soar in the coming years at the expense of flying.

Rail travel already accounts for around one-third (29 per cent) of long-distance journeys – those which are 2.5 hours or more.

One-third of people surveyed also expect to travel more by train in the next 12 months. For rail travel in the next five years, that increases to 40 per cent across countries and 49 per cent across cities.

In contrast, plane travel is set to stagnate, with only around 2 per cent expecting to fly more in the same time period.

Respondents said they anticipate their car travel growing, but by 50 per cent less than rail.

Two-thirds of Europeans back banning short-haul flights

The eagerness for more train travel in the future is also complemented by a clear majority (62 per cent) backing legislation to ban short-haul flights where high-speed rail alternatives exist.

In Europe, where there are an increasing number of high-speed rail routes, support rises to 67 per cent.

Such legislation has already been introduced in France, and has been proposed in Spain too.

In both countries, more than twice as many respondents are in favour of the ban as opposed to it, the research found. Those surveyed in both countries said they would even support stronger additional legislation (63 per cent in Spain and 56 per cent in France).

Across every place surveyed, more people backed funding new rail infrastructure with increased air or road taxes than those opposed to it.

The research also explored how to grow public transport usage, with passengers identifying crowding, affordability and convenience as the biggest challenges.

Across all countries included in the survey, over seven in ten said they would use public transport more if it were better connected, and this remained at over half even if it cost more.

“Those surveyed expect to increase their rail usage more than any other form of transport in the next five years, and they support government action to enable this,” said Edoardo La Ficara, group chief markets officer at Hitachi Rail.

“We, as an industry, have a crucial opportunity to meet this public demand by delivering a great sustainable mobility transition.”

If you’ve dreamed of living and working in one of the many paradisiacal destinations in the Philippines, now might be your chance to make that dream a reality.

The country is launching a new digital nomad visa, which will allow remote workers to stay for up to two years.

President Bongbong Marcos announced the upcoming programme at the end of April.

“To further boost tourism and economy in the country, there is a need to establish a legal framework to facilitate the entry of digital nomads in the country, or foreign nationals who desire to temporarily stay in the Philippines while engaging in remote work activities for overseas employers or clients,” he said.

The initiative aims to boost tourism and strengthen the Philippine economy.

Here’s everything we know about the Philippines’ digital nomad visa so far.

Following the signing of the executive order by the president, the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is now able to issue digital nomad visas.

These are available to qualifying non-immigrant foreigners for an initial period of one year, with the option to renew for a second year.

To qualify for the visa, applicants must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Demonstrate that they work remotely using digital technology
• Show proof of sufficient income earned outside the Philippines
• Have a clean criminal record
• Hold valid health insurance throughout their stay

Additionally, applicants cannot be employed within the Philippines and must not pose any security threat to the nation.

Digital nomads can find ‘unparalleled beauty’ in the Philippines

With 7,600 islands fringed with pristine beaches, energetic cities like Manila, and renowned surf spots like Siargao, the country offers plenty of attractive options for remote workers.

“With our unparalleled natural beauty, vibrant culture, and the warmth of the Filipino people, the Philippines stands ready to welcome digital nomads to travel, work, and thrive across our islands,” Philippine tourism secretary Christina Frasco told the Philippines News Agency.

While applications aren’t yet open, the programme is expected to launch in the coming months.

The Philippines joins other popular destinations like South Korea, Italy, Japan, and Thailand in offering specialised visas for digital nomads.

Expedia Group said Friday that reduced travel demand in the United States led to its weaker-than-expected revenue in the first quarter, and Bank of America said credit card transactions showed spending on flights and lodging kept falling last month.

The two reports add to growing indications that the US travel and tourism industry may see its first slowdown since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic fuelled a period of “revenge travel” that turned into sustained interest in getting away.

Expedia, which owns accommodation reservation platforms Hotels.com and VRBO as well as an eponymous online travel agency, was the latest American company to report slowing business with both international visitors and domestic travellers.

Airbnb and Hilton noted the same trends last week in their quarterly earnings reports. Most major US airlines have said they plan to reduce scheduled flights, citing a decline in economy passengers booking leisure trips.

The US Travel Association has said that economic uncertainty and anxiety over President Donald Trump’s tariffs may explain the pullback. In April, Americans’ confidence in the economy slumped for a fifth straight month to the lowest level since the onset of the pandemic.

People are less willing to spend on holidays, especially to the US

Bank of America said Friday that its credit card holders were willing to spend on “nice to have” services like eating at restaurants in March and April, but “bigger ticket discretionary outlays on airfare and lodging continued to decline, possibly due to declining consumer confidence and worries about the economic outlook.”

Abroad, anger about the tariffs as well as concern about tourist detentions at the border have made citizens of some other countries less interested in travelling to the US, tourism industry experts say.

The US government said last month that 7.1 million visitors entered the US from overseas this year as of the end of March, 3.3 per cent fewer than during the first three months of 2024.

The numbers did not include land crossings from Mexico or travel from Canada, where citizens have expressed indignation over Trump’s remarks about making their country the 51st state.

Both US and Canadian government data have shown steep declines in border crossings from Canada.

Expedia Chief Financial Officer Scott Schenkel said that while the net value of the travel company’s bookings into the US fell 7 per cent in the January-March period, bookings to the US from Canada were down nearly 30 per cent.

In a conference call with investors on Friday, Expedia CEO Ariane Gorin said demand for US travel was lower in April than in March.

“We’re still continuing to see pressure on travel into the US, but we’ve also seen some rebalancing,” Gorin said. “Europeans are travelling less to the US, but more to Latin America.”

There is declining interest in the US as a destination

Airbnb said last week that foreign travel to the US makes up only 2 to 3 per cent of its business. But within that category, it’s seeing declining interest in the US as a destination.

“I think Canada is the most obvious example, where we see Canadians are travelling at a much lower rate to the US but they’re travelling more domestically, they are traveling to Mexico, they are going to Brazil, they’re going to France, they’re going to Japan,” Airbnb Chief Financial Officer Ellie Mertz said in a conference call with investors.

Hilton President and CEO Christopher Nassetta said the company saw international travel to its US hotels fall throughout the first quarter, particularly from Canada and Mexico.

But Nassetta said he remained optimistic for the second half of this year.

“My own belief is you will see some of — if not a lot of — that uncertainty wane over the next couple of quarters, and that will allow the underlying strength of the economy to shine through again,” he said.