Some 67 event planners from around Asia will begin their once-in-a-lifetime fam tour of Switzerland starting this Friday, as the Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau kicks off its annual destination showcase, this time covering Geneva, Lausanne, and Gstaad.

According to Barbra Albrecht, head of meetings & incentives worldwide and member of the Management Board with the Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau, the 9^th Asia Trophy 2024 is a study trip to position “Switzerland as a year-round meeting destination with a proven commitment to sustainability”.

Through use of public transport systems, the tour will demonstrate the destination’s short travel distances between places of interest and ease of access. Attendees can also see for themselves “a wealth of authentic experiences in cities and spectacular natural landscapes; state-of-the-art facilities; security and political stability in Switzerland; and the destination’s excellent environmental credentials and commitment to sustainability”, remarked Albrecht.

Besides opportunities to interact with professional and reliable business partners in Switzerland, the 9^th Asia Trophy 2024 also features fun rally challenges that will provide event planners with new ideas and venue options.

Elaborating on the format, Albrecht told TTGmice: “The format is very interactive, combining the top attractions and hidden gems in the mountains, cities, and the country side while using top public transportation, from trains and postal cars to cable ways and mountain railways. Along the way, bits and pieces (of information) will be found, meeting and incentive possibilities, as well as gala dinner venues will be discovered, and team spirit activities will be experienced. Attendees will pass through different control points where challenges await.”

Highlighted destinations are determined through a bid, and the bureau makes an effort to spotlight different locations across mountain, city and resort areas every year.

This year, attendees can expect to cruise down Lake Geneva, discover Lausanne’s Olympic Museum and the 16^th-century Lavaux Vineyards, and take the GoldenPass Express via Montreux before arriving at Glacier 3000 for fun in the snow.

Commenting on the agency representation, Dominique Oi, MICE manager Southeast Asia with the Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau, said participants hailed from a good spread of Asian markets – Singapore (three), Malaysia (six), Indonesia (three), the Philippines (three), Vietnam (five), Thailand (11), Japan (seven), South Korea (five), China (nine), Taiwan (three), and India (12).

The 9^th Asia Trophy 2024 is highly regarded in the Asian event planner community, as an event planner can only participate in it once in their lifetime.

When asked if the size of attendance reflected the importance of the source market to the Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau, Oi said all Asian markets were extremely valuable, especially for corporate incentive travel, and the allotment for planners tended to differ year to year.

The Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau was involved in 315 corporate incentive movements from Asia in 2023, out of 1,099 that included European and North America groups. The figures excluded events handled solely by private organisations.

Besides the annual Asia Trophy, the bureau also supports event planners with visa process assistance, networking events, and information via its e-news network and LinkedIn.