Secondary destinations are being paired with usual favourites like Zurich and Luzern to meet growing demand of the Asian MICE market. By Mimi Hudoyo
Switzerland is not only seeing arrivals from Asia pick up but also more repeat and longer-staying visitors from there.
India, China and South-east Asia are its main markets, with Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand registering significant growth last year.
According to Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau (SCIB), South-east Asia alone contributed 500,000 hotel overnight stays in 2014 – a year-on-year 10 per cent increase – out of which MICE constituted between 15,000 and 20,000 overnight stays.
Data from SCIB India also showed growth in Indian overnight stays, from 467,967 in 2013 to 485,216 in 2014, out of which MICE contributed 19 per cent. Aishvarya Guhagarkar, director of MICE India, SCIB, said: “The hotel overnights did not include apartment stays, which can add another 200,000 overnights.
“Apartments in Switzerland are in high demand in the Indian market because some communities, for religious reasons, prefer a kitchen facility to cook vegetarian food.”
Guendalina Rampazzi, head of market development MICE, SCIB, said: “India and China are doing well for us, but South-east Asia has been growing significantly as well, following the appointment of a dedicated SCIB manager for the region, in January 2014.”
Rampazzi opined that the region, with its huge population, is a massive market that was previously untapped: “Having someone in the South-east Asia region has created a better understanding of the market for us. We have also convinced travel consultants in the market to change their programmes towards longer-staying ones in Switzerland.”
Dominique Oi, dedicated MICE manager South-east Asia, SCIB, said: “Leisure travellers now stay two to three nights on average while MICE travellers stay four to five.”
South-east Asian travellers, she added, are among the biggest spenders, with CHF350 (US$374) per night for MICE.
To grow the Asian market, SCIB does not only promote the well- known destinations like Zurich, Geneva or Luzern, but also the country’s “hidden gems”.
For example, the bureau recently invited corporate clients from South-east Asia and Indian travel consultants on a fam trip to Luzern and the lesser-known Ticino in southern Switzerland.
Rampazzi said: “More groups are coming to Switzerland for the second time, so people are ready to discover new destinations. We encourage travellers not only to visit the must-see, but also discover the hidden gems where they can experience something more authentic and traditional. MICE groups look for experiences more than leisure visitors.”
Lugano, the biggest city in Ticino, offers diverse experiences, according to Silvana Redemagni, director of Lugano MICE Convention Bureau.
“In a very small area (bordering with Italy), you can have the best of Italian culture and cuisine, and also sightsee in a day mountains and valleys, rivers and lakes. Five to 10 minutes away from the city centre is the countryside. For those looking for nightlife, Milan is very near too,” she said.
Lugano now has 3,500 hotel rooms, with each hotel on average able to hold groups of up to 250 pax. Meeting facilities range from conference rooms in the hotels to standalone convention centres.
Swiss Diamond Hotel, for example, has meeting facilities for 10 to 150 participants, while Palazzo dei Congressi’s auditorium can fit up to 1,130 theatre-style, along with several breakout rooms and smaller meeting rooms in the adjacent Villa Ciani.
The centuries-old Ristorante Grand Cafe Al Porto has a patio and a private room for small meetings of 20 to 30 pax, while the Swissminatur theme park is good for bigger meetings of up to 300 pax, combined with teambuilding activities or a gala dinner at a resident restaurant that serves international food, including Asian and halal options.
Dominique Vuigner, CEO of Swissminatur, said: “We had a group from Malaysia last year and we are going to host another from India later this year.”
Meanwhile, the new Lugano Art and Culture venue will open in September with a 1,000-seat theatre and concert hall, museum space for exhibitions and several multipurpose halls for meetings, gala dinners or product launches.
Redemagni said Lugano is also great for incentive programmes, which range from city life to nature, light activities to extreme sports. She added: “Groups can organise a dinner cruise on Lugano Lake, have games on board, or simply enjoy beautiful views of the city set against the Lugano Prealps.”
Anand Veerkar, general manager Sales (West) of Fountainhead Mumbai, said Ticino has an appeal, but not as a stand-alone destination. “Indians like Italian food and they can find it in Lugano. The city has MICE facilities so it can attract corporate meetings. But it needs to be combined with well-known destinations, such as Luzern, for the post-event tour,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Lugano will be welcoming a 500-pax group on a post-convention tour from another country later this year. Guhagarkar revealed: “Half of the group will have a one-day tour here, while the rest will stay two nights, attend a gala dinner, and partake in lake cruising and other activities.”
Ideas – Three-day teambuilding and incentive
Day 1
Zurich – Thun – Gruyères – Montreux
Upon arrival in Zurich, participants take a quiz related to the Swiss International Air Lines that has just flown them to the country. A second quiz on the Swiss Travel System is given when the group is on the way to Thun by train and boat.
At Thun, participants are divided into teams to play two traditional Swiss games – flag throwing and Talerschwingen (rolling a coin inside a bowl).
They then transfer by coach to Gruyères to visit a medieval village. Lunch follows, after which they visit the chocolate factory of Cailler. Teams then compete in yet two more games, shooting an apple with a bow and arrow, and hammering a nail into a piece of wood in as few blows as possible.
Participants then head to Montreux by overnight coach.
Day 2
Montreux – Vevey – Lavaux – Lausanne
Participants depart in the morning by coach to the village of Vevey for a walking tour and a visit to the Alementarium Museum of Nestle.
During the tour of Vevey, the teams have to sample some milk and guess which was cow, soya and almond milk. They then have to try to weigh some cacao beans, and the team that manages to weigh closest to the required 187 grams wins.
Next, participants take the coach to the vineyards of Lavaux, a UNESCO world heritage site. Here, they visit wine producer Domaine the Daley’s wine cellar, taste some wine, and after lunch, tour the vineyard.
At the wine cellar, teams will play a water game. They are each given an empty vessel marked to indicate a certain volume of liquid it should be filled up to, choosing five out of a number of bottles of different sizes, all filled with water.
Next, participants head to Lausanne by coach to visit the old town and taste local products. They again take a quiz about the city’s facilities, before enjoying an unforgettable evening at The Olympic Museum.
Day 3
Montreux – Gstaad – Glacier 3000 – Montreux
Participants take a train ride from Montreux to Gstaad on the Golden Pass Line. Upon arrival, they take a walking tour of the main street of Gstaad, enjoy the local specialties, and play the native instrument alphorn in the village.
Then, participants take the coach to Glacier 3000 to experience the new Peak Walk attraction. After lunch, four members from each team put on a pair of special skis designed for four people and race with other teams on a short course. Next is the five-hole snow golf for three members from each team.
Participants return to Montreux by coach. They take a boat ride to Chillion Castle for a gala dinner.
Itinerary by SCIB in collaboration with Kuoni Group Travel Expert
Need to Know
New convention centre to open in Bellinzona
Cast – Event Arena, a new congress centre will open in autumn this year in Castione-Arbedo, Bellinzona.
The new centre with modern equipment and design will accommodate up to 540 people in 1,525m2 of space. It will become the key location for hosting congresses, fashion shows, product launches and other events in the area.
The Ristorante located on the ground floor will also provide an additional 180m2 of space to accommodate 96 guests, suitable for breakfast gathering, business lunches and banquets.
Be adventurous with Swiss chocolate
The Swiss Chocolate Adventure is a new attraction at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Luzern. The 25-minute ride takes visitors to learn interesting facts about the discovery, origin, production and transport of Swiss chocolate.
Through the 10 stops of the tour, visitors learn the entire value creation and transport chains, from the cultivation of the cocoa bean and the transport to Switzerland up to the manufacture and sale of the finished chocolate product.
Throughout the ride, visitors will not only see pictures and films and listen to the explanation, but also smell, feel and taste the chocolate product.
The multimedia voyage is conducted in German, but visitors can listen to the translation in French, Italian, English, Spanish and Chinese through a multi-lingual translation device.
Lugano urban trail thrill
Companies that are interested in teambuilding activities can take part in Foxtrail, an urban travel hunt that also serves as an alternative way to discover the city.
The teams (from two to six people) have to “follow the trails of the fox”, on foot or by public transport. To reach the fox, participants must solve complicated missions and decipher coded messages.
Also known as Galileo Galilei, the trail has a duration of two and a half hours, but there is also a shorter 90-minute alternative.
The trail is not targeted only at travel enthusiasts and sun lovers. The teams will be able to soak in the culture and history of the city, complete with breathtaking views of Monte Brè and Monte San Salvatire.
Participants will need to decipher the meaning of ancient inscriptions, follow a ‘bloody’ trail and request for information via text messages.
The trail starts at the train station or city centre and concludes at Piazza Reformation.
Meet the Queen of the Mountains
Trekking Team AG has a hiking programme for adventurous groups to take on Mount Rigi, also known as Queen of the Mountains. The group will take off-the-beaten-tracks and, with the help of maps and compasses, try to find the most direct route to the defined destination.
In teams, the group also needs to solve creative, entertaining and challenging tasks along the way. All activities require strong teamwork.
The programme is available from May to October and requires a minimum of 12 participants.
