The previous version of the website MySwitzerland.com had existed essentially since 2003, informing millions of users about holidays in Switzerland over the past 16 years. User behaviour has evolved along with the available technology; the need for inspiration and individually tailored information has increased. Switzerland Tourism ST therefore decided to completely revamp the platform. ST’s digital team worked towards this milestone for four years. The new MySwitzerland.com content hub went online in April 2019.

In 2019, the topic of “convenience” was a focus for the tourism industry, which identifies huge potential here.

A good Alexa ranking after the relaunch
The web statistics clearly show that the revamp of the page has been worthwhile: MySwitzerland.com is the world’s most successful website belonging to a destination management organisation (DMO). According to the Alexa ranking, it is placed 8,900th among all websites worldwide (as of December 2019), far ahead of other DMOs: New Zealand (rank 40,011), Australia (rank 50,562), France (rank 54,594) and Spain (rank 86,246).

Visual, mobile and accessible
MySwitzerland.com guides users to the information they want in a powerful and inspiring way in 16 languages. The interactive inspiration calendar on the home page is a central element. 48 short, concise and varied visual scenarios show the diversity of Switzerland throughout the four seasons. Pop-ups in the videos provide direct access to corresponding content. The powerful search function and intelligent filters give users additional means of access to Switzerland.

To ensure the greatest possible ease-of-use, the project team paid particular attention to two points: Firstly, the website is optimised for mobile applications. Most users visit it using a smartphone (figure for 2019: 65%). The number of desktop users has declined significantly. In 2012 more than 85% of the website’s visitors were desktop users but by 2019 this figure had dropped to 27%. Secondly, MySwitzerland.com was designed for full accessibility. People with disabilities and older users will therefore have better access. Accessibility was a major challenge for front-end development and involved significant additional work. The “Zugang für alle” (Access for All) Foundation was involved in the project from the start.  

Practical general map and meeting planner
The new map module means the content is also accessible at local level: with this new map function, it has never been so easy to get an impression of all available tourist offers. Using intelligent filter functions and regional criteria, visitors can find the information they want quickly and intuitively.

The website for meetings and conferences has also been completely redeveloped. Since August, the site has been guiding meeting planners through the entire process up to and including the request for a quote.

ST implemented the project together with project partners Hinderling Volkart and UNIC. Hinderling Volkart was responsible for design and front-end development and UNIC for the architecture and complex back-end development.