The safe, compact country offers a bevy of enticing incentive reasons.
South-east Asia has become an increasingly important market for Switzerland, with a noticable increase in corporate groups from the region choosing it for their incentives.
An insurance company from Thailand that chose Switzerland for its reward programme, said that the “dream destination” was one of the safest and cleanest in Europe. One of its cities, Lausanne, also holds a special place in their hearts.
Its spokesperson added: “Lausanne is where Thailand’s beloved King Rama 9 studied and lived for many years. We could not deny selecting Lausanne as a destination to take our top agents there to follow in his footsteps.”
Over in Indonesia, Ary Leonardo, vice president MICE from AntaVaya, spoke of how accommodating suppliers were, when it came to adhering an incentive group’s dietary requirements.
“The group was extremely impressed how restaurants, even the remote mountain ones, were able to come up with delicious Muslim-friendly meals. The highlight for the group was a gala dinner that showcased Swiss traditions and cuisine in a farm near Zurich,” he shared.
But a farm-style gala dinner is just a small part of the rich variety of landscapes and cultures that a five-day programme can pack in. It takes only four hours to cross the country from East to West, and three hours from North to South.
There is also a range of social programmes available, such as skiing in the morning, cow-milking in the afternoon, and a evening dinner cruise.
Backing the country’s myriad offerings are Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau’s and its partners’ varying support policies.
For example, groups of 300 pax will be given access to an additional airport counter for tax refunds, while a 500-strong group will be provided with an award ceremony with folklore music group as entertainment.
Meanwhile, Lake Lucerne Navigation Company offers a 10 per cent discount on charter cruises excluding F&B and additional services, while over in Lake Geneva, Glacier 3000 offers a free Snowbus ride on the glacier.
In light of the pandemic, Switzerland’s tourism suppliers have also implemented a Clean & Safe protocol.
Reto Kaufmann, Kuoni Tumlare’s vice president sales and operations, South-east & South Asia, summarised: “Switzerland offers MICE organisers from Asia a value for money proposition. Critical supply such as hotels, transportation, venues, F&B as well as entertainment can be found in a wide quality and price range, which is key to building enticing incentive programmes.”
