Having been honoured by voters at the World Travel Awards, Steve Sammut, chief executive of Rocky Mountaineer, here tells Breaking Travel News how it feels to have won the prestigious title

Breaking Travel News: Congratulations on your victory at the World Travel Awards, with Rocky Mountaineer having taken the title of World’s Leading Luxury Train. How does it feel to have won?

Steve Sammut: Thank you, this recognition means a great deal to us.

This past year has been incredibly challenging for the entire travel industry, so receiving this award is welcome good news for us, as we look forward to 2021 and beyond.

BTN: Can you tell us a little about Rocky Mountaineer – what is it brings to the luxury travel scene in Canada?

SS: We offer luxury train journeys that showcase some of the most spectacular scenery North America has to offer.

It is a must-do travel experience that offers unparalleled journeys in its spacious glass-roofed train carriages thanks to the incredible scenery, delicious cuisine, friendly service, and social atmosphere.

We offer four rail routes: three that connect Vancouver to the Canadian Rockies towns of Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper in Western Canada; and a fourth route we recently announced that travels through the US Rockies, between Denver, Colorado and Moab, Utah in the south-west United States.

A journey on one of our trains is truly a memorable way to experience these regions.

BTN: Rocky Mountaineer recently unveiled plans to launch a trip in the United States next year – does this suggest we might be heading back toward something like normality as we approach 2021?

SS: We hope so!

We are incredibly excited about our plans to bring the Rocky Mountaineer experience to the south-west US in 2021.

The Rockies to the Red Rocks route will be a two-day rail route that connects Denver and Moab with an overnight stay in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

The new route offers many of the same characteristics as our award-winning Canadian routes: iconic destinations, and all daytime, multi-day journeys that are best experienced by train.

This is an exciting opportunity for us, and one we had been working towards for many years, and we cannot wait to welcome guests onboard in 2021.

BTN: What health and safety measures do you have in place to address travellers’ concerns?

SS: Onboard our trains, the health and safety of our guests and team members is our top priority.

We have extensive health screening and disinfecting protocols in place, so guests can be confident and comfortable during their journey.

This includes health screening prior to boarding each day, use of electrostatic disinfecting of the train, and high-end air filtration systems that ensure a steady intake and circulation of fresh air and capture of 99.9 per cent of airborne particles.

Across our operations, we will follow the guidelines provided by the World Health Organisation and the government and health authorities where we operate.

While guidelines may change before our 2021 season begins, we have policies and procedures in place, so our guests and team members can travel in comfort and with confidence.

More Information

Rocky Mountaineer offers luxury train journeys that showcase some of the most spectacular scenery North America has to offer.

It is a must-do travel experience that offers unparalleled journeys in its spacious glass-domed train coaches thanks to the incredible scenery, delicious cuisine, attentive service and social atmosphere.

Find out more on the official website.