Asia grows in priority for Switzerland Tourism

SWITZERLAND is raising its budget by 50 per cent to trap more MICE from Asia, one of its most successful source markets for meetings and incentive travel.

Urs Eberhard, head of markets, Switzerland Tourism, said part of the increased marketing spend will tap South Korea with plans to invite important buyers and travel agencies to the third Asia Trophy next year.

The Asia Trophy was launched last year to give Asian MICE buyers – a different market segment with different needs – live experience in Switzerland, apart from the existing and bigger Worldwide Trophy.

Despite Switzerland being pricey and the weakening of Asian currencies which make the destination even more expensive, Eberhard said Asia’s booming economy means corporations will continue sending their winners and top employees to incentive trips.

In fact, about three weeks ago, Switzerland hosted an 800 plus pax incentive group for a Singapore insurance company. And last March, it also hosted three incentive groups of 50 pax each from a Philippine-based pharmaceutical company.

“Switzerland as a prize has a huge value. Incentive participants feel that they are indeed very valuable,” Eberhard explained.

He said that in Asia, India and South-east Asia are the “highest producers of incentive trips to Switzerland”. Incentive groups from India will increase from 95 this year to 120 next year. The 70 groups from South-east Asia will grow to 100 to 110 next year. From 50 groups this year, incentive groups from China will double in 2016.

New destinations being promoted apart from the usual Zurich, Geneva, Jungfrau and Zermatt includes Ticino, Gallen, Lausanne and the scenic routes covered by the Grand Tour of Switzerland.

Jurg Schmid, CEO of Switzerland Tourism, said new products opening next year will further enhance Switzerland as a destination for both leisure and MICE.

These include the opening of the extension of the FIFA world football museum in Zurich; Charlie Chaplin Museum in Montreux which will allot space for MICE; the Gotthard base channel, the world’s longest railway terminal connecting northern Europe with the south; and the 50th year of the Montreux Jazz Festival in July 2016.

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