Switzerland Tourism ST’s Paris office enlisted an ambassador with a highly unusual CV in summer 2021: Mike Horn. The extreme adventurer and explorer regularly pushes his body and mind to the limit in ambitious expeditions. He has climbed 8,000-metre peaks without oxygen, voyaged solo down the Amazon and circumnavigated the globe via both the South and North Poles, tackling ocean crossings and overland journeys in an adventure that lasted nearly four years.

In which month of 2021 did the greatest number of French visitors come?

  1. February
  2. July
  3. August
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22% of all hotel overnight stays by French visitors took place in August, followed by February (15%) and July (12%).

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Although Horn, who was born in South Africa, spends his time exploring the world, Switzerland has been his adopted country and French-speaking Switzerland his home since 1990. Mike teamed up with ST to record five short films entitled “La Suisse de Mike Horn” (Mike Horn’s Switzerland), in which he shared his take on Switzerland as a holiday destination. The films have racked up more than 1.6 million views: 50% on Mike Horn’s social media accounts and the other half on ST channels. The campaign generated 82 million marketing contacts.

The perfect guide for French visitors

The keen interest and media resonance did not come out of the blue: Horn is famous for his adventuring, has appeared on French television on several occasions and has a very successful YouTube channel of his own. “For this campaign, which started in France, we needed an ambassador who embodied the unbridled energy of outdoor activities in Switzerland and its varied landscapes,” explains ST spokesperson Véronique Kanel. Mike Horn might have been born for this role, and in conjunction with ST he made the ideal companion to get French visitors excited about the nature of Switzerland.

Out and about in Switzerland’s natural paradise

The five films present the cantons beloved of French visitors as summer destinations: Vaud, Valais, Fribourg, Jura and Bern. Horn showed his favourite spots and explained what makes Switzerland such a breathtaking country and a true paradise for nature lovers like him. All the films show activities on offer in the respective regions. Links lead to hiking routes, excursion destinations or dining experiences. During the campaign, the landing page was the most visited page on the French version of MySwitzerland.com. In Switzerland, the French-speaking media 24heures and Tribune de Genève reported on the collaboration with the explorer.