What requests do people most often send you from France?
Franziska Luthi - In fact, we receive relatively few requests for long-term, purely incentive operations, which are generally aimed at more distant destinations. Most of the requests we handle concern seminars supplemented by activities or short incentives, of the three-day/two-night or two-day/one-night type.
And for what content?
F. L. - Ten years ago, we mainly received requests for seminars in the snow. But we've communicated a lot about what you can do in Switzerland throughout the seasons, and that work is now starting to pay off. Visitor numbers are diversifying and spreading throughout the year. Of course, in a country where you can live "in the white Even in summer, thanks to the presence of glaciers, snow remains an attractive feature. But there are also the lakes, cities like Montreux, Lucerne and Zürich, and an ever-expanding range of lifestyle activities: gastronomy, wine tasting, visits to artisan chocolate factories...
Don't French customers tend to prefer operations in French-speaking Switzerland?
F. L. - Quite frankly, no. In the time I've worked here, I've only received one request specifying that the "francophone was imperative. What counts more than language is the presence of hotels that meet the defined criteria and ease of access. From this point of view, Lyria's new offer highlights cities such as Basel and Zurich.
"Switzerland is expensive How do you respond to this criticism?
F. L. - It's clear: we're not a cut-price destination. We don't live on tourism alone, and we don't really have off-peak seasons when hotels are forced to slash prices. In terms of business tourism, Switzerland is not the"factory. We tend to work with small groups, offering personalised holidays. We have a quality product, which certainly comes at a price, but which is not limited to the very top end of the market. We have a very good offer outside the five-star luxury segment. All in all, Switzerland isn't as expensive as you might think...
