In response to recent marketing team departures, Switzerland Tourism has chosen The Walshe Group to provide temporary marketing support in Australia and New Zealand.
The announcement follows the news of the departure of Switzerland Tourism’s long-standing Marketing Manager, Birgit Weingartner, and Director of Australia and New Zealand, Livio Goetz. Goetz is heading to Dubai for his next tenure with the tourism organisation. As such, The Walshe Group will be assisting with the transition until a new Swiss market manager for Australia is appointed later this year, in addition to overseeing local trade and media campaigns for Switzerland Tourism.
Subscribe to LATTE’s free eNewsletter to keep up to date with everything in the luxury travel industry.
“We are delighted to announce the appointment of The Walshe Group as our local marketing and public relations representative,” said Sara Roloff, Director Asia Pacific for Switzerland Tourism.
“Their experience and local market knowledge will be invaluable in our continued investment in Australia and New Zealand to promote Switzerland as a leading tourism destination. We look forward to working with them to achieve our goals and objectives and to welcoming the new Market Manager later in 2023.”
At an intimate Switzerland Tourism breakfast event hosted at Pier One Sydney Harbour on Tuesday 16 May, Roloff revealed that Australia is proving to be one of Switzerland’s strongest markets. Boasting an 11% increase on 2019 tourism levels – a time period considered a top season by all accounts – Australia is the second-best performing market in the Asia Pacific region for Switzerland.
In attendance at the event were Candice Steffensen, Lufthansa Group marketing manager for Australia and New Zealand, and Andreas Nef, market manager for Swiss Travel System, both of whom shared news of Switzerland’s synchronised public transport systems, and the new seamless connection between air and rail from Zurich.
Alan Ramsay, head of markets for Schilthorn Piz Gloria, Manuela Blapp, marketing manager east for Pilatus Luzern; Evelyne Jeannerat, head of markets for Zurich Tourism; and Renato Julier, director markets for Interlaken, each recapped the key drawcards – and accessibility – of their regions. Sonia Holt, manager of business development and recruitment for The Walshe Group, was also in attendance.
The Swiss contingent focused on the promotion of the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland, a tourism campaign backed by Roger Federer, and Switzerland’s newest scenic train, the GoldenPass Express, which connects the cities of Montreux and Interlaken – and the 12 stops in between – in just 3 hours and 15 minutes.
Lead image: from left are: Alan Ramsay, Schilthorn; Sonia Holt, The Walshe Group; Livio Goetz, Switzerland Tourism; Andreas Nef, Swiss Travel System; Sara Roloff, Director Asia Pacific, Switzerland Tourism; Birgit Weingartner, Switzerland Tourism; Candice Steffensen, Swiss International Airlines and Renato Julier, Interlaken Holiday Region. In front are: Manuela Blapp, Pilatus Cableways and Evelyne Jeannerat, Zurich Tourism.