The Pop In The City event in Basel for 600 women was fully booked within just three hours.

Creating paper, spraying graffiti, completing a bike course, playing piccolo or diving into the Rhine in a mermaid costume – 600 women discovered the city of Basel in a playful way on 25 June 2022. “Pop In The City” is the name of the whimsical racing competition that originated in France. Teams of two must take on 30 challenges and solve puzzles within eight hours.

Everything is allowed: involving locals, using public transportation or hitchhiking. A roadbook guides participants through the various tasks, and the city guide provides them with a rudimentary lexicon in Baseldytsch (Basel German): Gäggsnaase (brazen young woman), Bebbi (the locals), Rossbollemississippi (the Rhine).

1,200 overnight stays generated for city tourism

Get to know a city in a completely new way in areas such as sports, culture, art, society – and at the same time experience a sense of togetherness thanks to the race: that was the goal of this “urban raid” organised by Switzerland Tourism ST with the support of Basel Tourism and promoted in France. The idea caught on: the event for 600 women was fully booked within just three hours. The participants were able to benefit from special hotel rates, and 85% of them stayed in Basel for two to three nights, some of whom were with their companions. The event generated over 1,200 overnight stays in total.

On social media channels such as Instagram and Facebook, the event reached 4.5 million impressions and a total reach of 2.3 million. Media outlets such as ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Grazia, TF1 and the BZ Basel also reported on the event. Partner TGV Lyria also sent a few female influencers to Basel to support the project.

With this new and playful way to discover a destination, ST supported city tourism after the pandemic years and strengthened the position of Switzerland as a destination with respect to “women-friendly travel”. The project was indirectly part of 100% Women. The initiative, launched in 2021 and continued in 2022 with a world record in mountain sports, aims to put a spotlight on the female perspective of Switzerland.