Consul at Switzerland Tourism

1. As director Brazil, consul at Switzerland Tourism, what according to you are some of the key long-stay and sustainable initiatives to ensure comfortable and clean driving pleasure for tourists and travelers?

In 2021, Switzerland Tourism together with the whole Swiss tourism industry launched a movement for sustainable tourism named Swisstainable to showcase Switzerland as a leader in sustainable tourism and promote responsible travel practices. The movement aims to inform travelers, engage tourism providers, and empower local communities to adopt not only environmentally-friendly, but also socially-conscious and economically sustainable solutions. It aligns with Switzerland's commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The key messages of the Swisstainable movement are:

● Switzerland has a long tradition of environmental stewardship and offers breathtaking natural landscapes from the Alps to vineyards.

● Sustainability is central to the Swiss tourism industry's future. The movement encourages continuous improvement across the whole bandwidth and all the three pillars of sustainability: environmentally friendly, socially responsible, economically viable.

● Travelers play an important role in protecting Switzerland's beauty by making sustainable choices - from transportation to accommodations, activities, food, and souvenirs.

● The campaign calls on tourism businesses to obtain sustainability certifications, reduce waste, support local communities, preserve natural and cultural heritage, and provide long-term and all-year employment.

The objective is for Switzerland to become a role model for sustainable, long-term tourism across the world.

Some possible Long-stay Tourism initiatives could be:

Create more all-inclusive long-stay packages and "slow travel" itineraries so that tourists may spend more time in Switzerland, learn about its culture and dive deeper into the touristic experiences. Accommodations, transportation, and entertainment might all be offered at reduced prices.

Advertise extended stays at rural establishments, such as mountain farms and vineyards. These give you a real taste of what it's like to live in the area.

Long-term visitors who are in search of rest, relaxation, and healthy living should be encouraged to visit an increasing number of wellness spas, be it in our picturesque “Boutique Towns” or in mountain retreats.

Swiss-based opportunities for student exchange and language immersion can be strengthened through collaboration with educational travel agencies.

Create shared living and networking rooms in beautiful outdoor locations to attract digital nomads. Maintain a solid network for online work.

Some Sustainable Tourism initiatives could be:

Provide incentives for the tourism industry to follow best practices in the areas of energy, water, waste management, and other sustainability certifications.

Create an initiative to reduce the environmental impact of trips to and within Switzerland. Put the money towards initiatives that help the environment.

Build up and subsidize public transit to get people out of their cars. Promote carbon-neutral modes of transportation, such as trains and electric vehicles.

In order to preserve and strengthen local culture and communities, it is important to publicize farm-to-table cuisine, handmade goods, and original experiences.

Campaigns to reduce the use of plastic should be launched at tourist hotspots, eateries and transit hubs. Make more water fountains available for refilling.

Promote Switzerland's role as an environmental leader through media and public activities.

Some of these ideas have already been implemented by our tourism partners.

2. What in your opinion are some major approaches to discovering unexplored travel opportunities in Switzerland for tourists from Brazil?

Through its marketing activities, the team of Switzerland Tourism in Brazil has focused on diversifying the promotion of Switzerland in order to include places and products less known in the Brazilian market. There are many ways that we use to promote these, such as partnerships with Content Creators and tour operators, who can strongly influence the final consumer in Brazil.

But there are many ways we can think of for promoting underrated Swiss attractions to Brazilian tourists:

For example, we could highlight less-visited areas, such as Alpine hamlets, hidden lakes, and undiscovered hiking routes outside of the typical tourist hotspots. For instance, we could promote the serenity, originality, and breathtaking scenery of Switzerland's Appenzell, Ticino, and Graubünden regions.

We could also advertise other winter activities than skiing, such as sledding, snowshoeing, ice skating, and dog sledding in Switzerland, that are less well-known in the Brazilian market.

What about highlighting Swiss cuisine and Swiss wine & cheese, chocolate, rösti, fondue, and other local specialties in locations like rustic mountain cottages. Highlight the one-of-a-kind tastes of Switzerland.

We could also feature Swiss Traditions - Yodelling, alphorn blowing, flag tossing, and cow fighting are just some of the Swiss traditions that might appeal to the Brazilians' fascination with European culture.

Destination planning should concentrate on the interests of the traveller rather than general attractions like museums or landmarks.

One idea would be to take advantage of Brazil's strong cafe tradition by introducing Brazilians to the great cafes of Europe and the coffee houses of Switzerland, such as the Cafe Schober in Zurich or the many new micro and / or local coffee roasteries all around the country.

In line with our Swisstainable movement, we do emphasize environmental friendliness—market Switzerland's green transit, eco hotels, climate neutral certifications, natural attractions as as crystal-clear rivers and lakes as reasons to visit.

We target Brazilians with specialized content by collaborating with Brazilian social media content creators and travel operators and agencies to provide original, shareable ideas for Brazilian travelers. Create some bundles that will sell in Brazil.

There is a lot of room for expansion and creativity.

3. How can the power of electric vehicles and an accessible network of charging stations be leveraged to seamlessly facilitate the E-Grand Tour of Switzerland?

The convenience and accessibility of electric vehicle infrastructure makes the e-Grand Tour an exciting sustainable option for discovering Switzerland's stunning landscapes and villages.

The e-Grand Tour of Switzerland is taking advantage of electric vehicles and the existing charging infrastructure in place. The e-Grand Tour was the world’s first road trip with a dense network of charging stations all along the itinerary.

We have been working on forming EV rental company relationships to negotiate lower rental rates and free mileage for customers booking e-Grand Tour packages.

In order to facilitate long-distance e-Grand Tour travel, Switzerland continues extending its network of electric charging stations, especially in outlying alpine regions and popular tourist locations.

In order to allow electric vehicle users to swiftly refuel in 30 minutes or less throughout their travel, additional fast charging stations are being installed along important routes and popular tourist locations.

Apps and maps that show charging stations, their current availability, and routes to them might be helpful in reducing range anxiety are available. Drivers of e-Grand Tour vehicles can use apps to locate charging stations in their vicinity.

Green Power Charging is a practice of operating charging stations on alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydro. This exemplifies Switzerland's commitment to renewable energy and sustainable practices.

To encourage people to do the e-Grand Tour, some businesses, attractions, and hotels provide electric vehicle users preferential parking.

One of the key developments is the future is partnerships: arrange for e-Grand Tourers to receive free or cheap charging at select stations by forming partnerships. One idea for example is to promote discounts and special offers from nearby establishments that serve as charging points

4. Before your stint at Switzerland Tourism, what were some of the previous experiences that empowered you to gain deep expertise in establishing government relations, nonprofit organizations, international project management, sustainable development, and corporate social responsibility?

● My 6 years working at the World Economic Forum organizing multistakeholder conferences with top decision makers like CEOs, Prime Ministers, and Presidents. This gave me experience engaging with high-level government officials.

● My role as Head of Public-Private Partnership, Asia at the World Economic Forum, where I negotiated relationships with key government representatives from Asia and Europe. This gave me expertise in public-private partnerships.

● My work at nonprofits like the United Nations University and the Asia Disaster Reduction Center as a project manager. This allowed me to gain experience in international project management and working for nonprofit organizations.

● My project management role at the United Nations University's Department of Environment and Sustainability, where I created a research network focused on sustainable development of water resources. This gave me direct experience in sustainable development.

● My time at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development managing corporate sustainability programs. This gave me exposure to corporate social responsibility

5. On an ending note, what is your advice for other senior leaders and CXOs working in the travel and hospitality landscape?

Here are some potential pieces of advice I could offer other senior leaders and CXOs in the travel and hospitality industry:

● Stay on top of trends and innovations that are shaping the future of travel - things like sustainability, experiential travel, personalization, mobile integration, etc. These will impact product and service development.

● Invest in digital transformation across the organization - this includes technologies like AI, automation, cloud computing, etc. to create seamless customer experiences.

● Focus on data analytics to derive insights about changing consumer preferences and behavior. Use this to drive business strategy and decision making.

● Develop strategic partnerships across sectors (retail, airlines, entertainment, etc.) to create holistic travel packages and experiences.

● Put in place effective crisis management and communications strategies to navigate external shocks like pandemics or recessions. Be ready to adapt quickly.

● Build an organizational culture that empowers employees and fosters innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. This will drive competitiveness.

● Prioritize sustainability - consumers are demanding eco-friendly travel options. Look for ways to reduce environmental impact.

● Adopt a global mindset and expand into growing international markets, while also localizing for cultural relevance.

The key is to balance industry leadership, strategic vision, and passion for world-class travel experiences.