Where Switzerland Tourism ST has no fixed representation in a country, he comes into play: Federico Sommaruga, Director of Emerging Markets & Special Projects. In 2022, his focus was on Israel, among other places, where the marketing expert sees a lot of potential. On site or also from the ST head office in Zurich, he looks after the official channels, such as embassies, ministries and tourist organisations in the emerging markets, maintains contact with local tour operators – and, if possible, with the media.

“The current political situation often has a direct impact on our work,” he says. This is why it is important to keep an eye on it and to support Switzerland as a holiday destination wherever possible. This can be achieved, among other things, by a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by local tourism organisations at the marketing level or by foreign embassies in Switzerland.

Stabilising and expanding the source market of Israel

Switzerland has always been a popular holiday destination for travellers from Israel, mainly for trips based on sporting or religious interests, but also for business meetings. The market is stable with around 250,000 overnight stays per year in the hotel industry and supplementary accomodations. “Our task here is to strengthen the confidence of tour operators through our presence,” says Federico Sommaruga. So that they will continue to promote Switzerland to Israeli guests as an ideal country for individual holidays – based in one place and with many excursion options.

Swiss tourism: in contact with ambassadors and diplomats

Federico Sommaruga’s talks and negotiations require tact and diplomatic skill. He has known both since early childhood: his father, Cornelio Sommaruga, worked for many years in various countries as a diplomat, as well as in Geneva representing Switzerland to numerous international institutions – including as president of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The fact that he himself is now on the road, so to speak, as an ambassador for Switzerland as a tourist tourism is thus a perfect fit.

Federico Sommaruga describes the Ambassadors’ Conference, which took place in Graubünden and Bern at the end of August, as a personal highlight of 2022. “We invited participants on a train ride with the Rhaetian Railway, from Pontresina to Landquart,” he says. 150 Swiss ambassadors participated. This event was primarily about thanking them for their cooperation, for the support in their respective countries and for the exchange with ST management.

Swiss abroad: credible ambassadors for Switzerland

Swiss abroad, who represent Switzerland around the world, are close to Federico Sommaruga’s heart. A collaboration with the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) and its approximately 778,000 members has been running for twelve years. “Each and every one of them is our ambassador,” says Federico Sommaruga. With their Swiss roots, they are very receptive to topics related to Switzerland as a tourist destination and can identify strongly with Swiss values, such as beautiful nature, reliable public transport network, cleanliness, safety, etc. This makes them credible ambassadors for Switzerland.

Communication takes place both online and offline, including the popular ST desk calendar, which was again ordered over 4,000 times in 2022, for example. The OSA newsletter reaches some 37,000 members, and ST regularly includes content on OSA social media channels, primarily Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The “Swiss Review” reaches around 450,000 OSA members, and the OSA website swisscomunity.org is also an important communication channel. ST also supports selected OSA events, including the annual Congress of the Swiss Abroad, which was held in Lugano in August 2022. The agenda for the 125 participants also included a meeting with star architect Mario Botta on Monte Generoso to learn more about his building “Fiore di pietra” (stone flower).

Maintaining contacts with foreign embassies in Bern

ST also maintains contact with foreign embassies in Bern. In June 2022, representatives from Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Thailand and Japan attended a meeting of ST’s Asia Pacific Workshop. And in September, representatives from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (GCC) visited Bad Ragaz to learn more about the healthcare sector, Swiss clinics and medical services. Federico Sommaruga also accompanied a delegation from Kazakhstan to the Swiss Wrestling and Alpine Festival in Pratteln in the canton of Basel-Landschaft.