There's no doubt about it: demand for eco-responsible seminars and events is exploding. Whatever the reasons, good or bad, greenhushing or greenwashing, CSR criteria are playing an increasingly important role in the choice of destination. Choosing CSR activities, working with committed service providers, assessing the carbon footprint of their event: seminar and event organisers are incorporating new requirements into their specifications and are becoming increasingly vigilant about the reality of the strategies and actions put in place by their partners.
Sustainable business tourism, a historic objective for Switzerland
Within this framework, Switzerland benefits from a excellent reputation for eco-responsibility and sustainability. This is reflected in its quality of life, which is among the best in Europe according to several studies. This is reflected in the high level of safety, the abundance of green spaces and the high density of public transport, which is often free for event participants.
Sustainable development is part of its DNA, with values shared by everyone, individuals and businesses alike. These concerns are also reflected in Swiss public policies for a very long time. In 1979, for example, it launched a sustainable tourism development tool based on accessibility to nature and the fight against mass tourism.
Swisstainable - a whole programme
Switzerland is deeply committed to preserving the environment and the planet's resources. In particular, the country is a pioneer in solar energy, with the first home to be heated entirely by solar power having been built in 1989. Similarly, its transport network is almost entirely electrified, while at the same time 97% of its inhabitants are connected to a centralised wastewater treatment plant. At the cutting edge of green technologiesSwitzerland is also proud to be one of the leading countries in organic farming, with 17% of farmland in use.
For French event organisers, Switzerland is first and foremost an attractive, sustainable, local destination, accessible by 3 or 4 hours with TGV Lyria from Paris. But over and above this primary asset, it offers a multitude of places that satisfy both the desire for green and fresh air and CSR criteria. Soft mobility activities (cycling, hiking), visits to local heritage sites, volunteering activities in a nature park or meaningful incentive activities also make it possible to enjoy your seminar in a sustainable spirit.
To better identify them, the committed service providers have been identifying and distinguishing themselves for the past three years with a " Swisstainable "It's a fusion of the words "Swiss" and "sustainable". Hotels, restaurants, event venues and incentive activities can all be filtered by or for their level of commitment. A real plus when it comes to making a choice.
Swisstainable" service providers
Among the venues listed, organisers will be able to find venues for major events such as the Palexpo conference centre in Genevalabelled ISO 20121 and therefore Swisstainable level 3 (leading). Of course, the accommodation sector is also playing the green card, with a host of committed establishments. In the Vallée de Joux, for example, Hôtel des Horlogers combines the best of the Jura, its landscapes and its excellence in watchmaking.
Owned by Audemars Piguet since 2003, this 50-room, 4-star hotel has recently been redesigned, incorporating CSR criteria for its new contemporary building. Harmoniously integrated into the landscape, it adds to its light-filled meeting spaces a kitchen that makes the most of local produce.
Higher up, in the resort of Andermatt, the hotel Radisson Blu ReussenThe 244-room hotel, which looks like a large chalet, lends its setting to large-scale events all year round. Its accommodation capacity is enhanced by a MICE area with six rooms and a conference hall for up to 700 people. For team-building activities outside meetings, the hotel also organises low-carbon nature activities.
For a breathtaking view, the organisers can arrange for participants to meet at the summit of Mount Pilatus, not far from Lucerne. There, at an altitude of over 2,100 m, the Pilatus Kulm Hotel - built in 1890 and listed as a historic monument - offers around thirty rooms. Accessible after a trip aboard a cogwheel train, one of the steepest in the worldThe cosy setting also houses seven meeting rooms. An ideal venue for meetings with a view.
The country has other inspiring places to offer. For example, the Kartause Ittingen takes the 'farm to table' concept a step further, boasting that it only serves ultra-local produce in its restaurant and 22 seminar rooms. Nestling in a former priory, this 86-room 3*sup hotel has its own farm, butchery, bakery and dairy. A food self-sufficiency symbolic of a highly advanced CSR approach.
In the same vein, the Sorell Hotel Zürichberg is supporting an original and innovative initiative to recultivate the land in front of the hotel using regenerative agriculture. This will provide the hotel with from field to plate in just a few metres. Surrounded by meadows and forests, this 4-star hotel with 66 rooms is just a ten-minute tram ride from the centre of Zurich.
City seminars or country seminars: why choose?
