Katarina Railko brings a wealth of expertise to the table as a seasoned hospitality professional with a deep focus on the travel and tourism sectors. Her career has been defined by navigating the intricate world of entertainment and events, where she has become a leading voice in the evolution of large-scale expos and conferences. With an affinity for creating meaningful attendee experiences, she currently specializes in how sustainability and logistics intersect to reshape the modern events landscape.
This conversation explores the shifting tides of corporate travel, specifically focusing on the “Ireland Overland” initiative which champions multimodal transport between the UK and Ireland. We delve into the logistics of coordinating rail and sea travel, the economic and environmental trade-offs between different cabin classes, and the creative potential of turning travel time into a strategic asset. Katarina also sheds light on the growing pressure regarding Scope 3 emissions and how the contrast between urban hubs like Dublin and rural regions like Kerry offers a blueprint for future incentive programs.
Moving a group from London to Kerry via rail and ferry requires complex coordination between multiple transport and tourism stakeholders. What were the primary logistical challenges in aligning these different sectors, and how do you ensure the transfer between rail and sea remains a seamless experience for delegates?
The primary challenge lies in the sheer number of moving parts; you are essentially stitching together a tapestry of schedules from Rail Tours Ireland, Irish Ferries, and various regional bureaus. To make this work, we move away from thinking about transport as a series of disconnected segments and instead treat the entire route as a singular, unified venue. We focus on “frictionless transitions,” where the hand-off between the train at Holyhead and the ferry terminal is synchronized to minimize waiting while maximizing comfort. By having dedicated support from destination management and transport stakeholders, we ensure that luggage logistics and boarding processes feel like a VIP service rather than a commute. This level of cross-sector collaboration is what transforms a complex transit route into a professional, stress-free journey for high-level delegates.
Incorporating both Standard and First Class rail alongside ferry crossings allows planners to evaluate travel through different economic lenses. How do the carbon implications and cost considerations differ across these tiers, and what specific metrics should agencies use when presenting these lower-impact alternatives to cost-conscious clients?
When presenting these options, we look at the commercial reality that sustainability isn’t reserved only for those with the largest budgets. Integrating both Standard and First Class experiences allows planners to see that lower-impact travel can be accessible across different price points without sacrificing the mission of reducing emissions. The carbon implications are significant when compared to short-haul flights, and agencies should use specific metrics like CO2e per passenger kilometer and total “travel-to-event” footprints to show the tangible savings. By providing a hands-on comparison of time versus cost and environmental gain, we empower planners to take informed, data-backed options back to their clients that prove green travel is a viable business decision.
Long-distance rail and sea travel are often viewed as lost productivity compared to short-haul flights. How can planners integrate structured networking or wellbeing moments into these transit periods, and what examples can you provide of turning a crossing into a valuable part of the event’s creative storytelling?
We have to flip the narrative and stop seeing travel as a “gap” between destinations, instead treating the rail and sea crossings as an integral part of the program design. On the journey from London to Ireland, we curate the time to include destination storytelling and structured networking sessions that wouldn’t be possible in the cramped environment of an airplane. For instance, the ferry crossing offers a unique physical space for wellbeing moments, such as guided reflection or open-air briefings while crossing the Irish Sea, which fosters a sense of shared adventure. These moments allow delegates to decompress and connect deeply before even arriving at the venue, effectively turning “lost time” into a high-value creative asset for the event’s narrative.
Pairing a major business hub like Dublin with a landscape-led region like Kerry highlights the diversity of available infrastructure. How do the sustainability rankings of these locations influence their appeal for incentive programs, and what practical steps should planners take to balance urban connectivity with immersive rural experiences?
The sustainability rankings are becoming a major North Star for planners; Dublin is currently ranked #19 on the Global Destination Sustainability Index, while Kerry holds the #12 spot. This creates a powerful synergy where Dublin provides the world-class business infrastructure and connectivity, while Kerry offers the immersive, nature-focused experiences that modern leadership programs crave. To balance these, planners should use the transition between the two as a “slow travel” bridge, allowing the pace of the event to shift naturally from the high energy of the city to the reflective atmosphere of the countryside. It’s about leveraging the established infrastructure of a hub while intentionally seeking out the emotional impact of a region that is a global leader in environmental stewardship.
Ferry travel remains an underused component in international event planning despite its potential environmental benefits. What are the specific experiential advantages of sea crossings over traditional air travel, and how can documenting these journeys help convince agencies that maritime routes are a viable, professional alternative for large groups?
The ferry offers an expansive, tactile experience—the sense of scale, the fresh air, and the ability for delegates to move around freely are advantages that air travel simply cannot replicate. It provides a distinct mental break and a sense of “arrival” that is much more profound than walking through a jet bridge into a sterile terminal. By documenting these journeys through the Ireland Overland initiative, we are gathering the “lived” data—the logistical flow and the delegate feedback—to prove that maritime routes are not just an alternative, but a premium choice. This documentation serves as a practical case study, showing skeptical agencies that the journey can deliver both environmental value and a superior experiential impact for large groups.
Clients are increasingly focused on Scope 3 emissions and responsible procurement when selecting event partners. In what ways does this multimodal model address those specific corporate pressures, and how can the findings from this type of cross-sector collaboration help standardize sustainable travel practices across the wider industry?
Corporations are under immense pressure to report on Scope 3 emissions, which include all indirect emissions in their value chain, such as business travel. This multimodal model directly addresses those pressures by providing a credible, tested alternative to high-emission flight routes, moving beyond theory into actual practice. The findings we generate from this collaboration between bureaus and transport partners will help create a standardized framework for how agencies calculate and present sustainable travel routes. By sharing these insights openly, we help the wider industry move toward a more responsible procurement model where environmental impact is weighted as heavily as cost and convenience.
What is your forecast for sustainable event travel?
I believe we are entering an era where “slow travel” will become a hallmark of prestige rather than a logistical hurdle. Over the next few years, I expect to see a significant rise in “itinerary-integrated transit,” where the journey itself is the first day of the conference, fully programmed with content and networking. As carbon reporting becomes mandatory for more global firms, multimodal routes involving rail and sea will transition from a niche experiment to a standard requirement in RFP processes. Ultimately, the industry will stop measuring the success of a trip merely by the speed of arrival, but by the depth of the experience and the lightness of the footprint left behind.
