Plans for rail pass for UK staycationers axed over cost concerns

theguardian.com:

Plans to boost domestic tourism by introducing a rail pass for British staycationers have been axed, the Guardian can reveal.

The idea was initially heralded by the government as a way to help struggling businesses get back on their feet as the final Covid restrictions were being lifted in the summer of 2021, but extensive consultations since have found that the plan would not be commercially viable.

Hospitality and tourism groups said they were disappointed by the move, while Labour said the “shambolic” state of the railways was harming interconnectivity.

The special ticket was intended to be modelled on the BritRail pass, which is sold through VisitBritain and allows foreign tourists unlimited journeys on most train lines across England, Wales and Scotland.

It is sold as a way of encouraging visitors to travel to attractions across the country, letting them “discover the hidden gems of Britain any time, on any train” and at “great value for money”.

As the final unlocking of restrictions approached, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said in a widely reported announcement in June 2021 that a similar rail pass for staycationers would be launched “later this year”. However, more than 18 months later, the plan has not come to fruition.

In an update to the tourism recovery plan quietly released this month, the department said that the “domestic rail tourism product” had been axed.

Extensive research by DCMS, alongside the Department for Transport, the Rail Delivery Group and VisitBritain, found that such a product “would not provide value for money for customers” if it were commercially viable.

“The government will work with VisitBritain and the rail operators to find alternative ways to encourage more