(From left) JP Cabalza, managing director, Cencorp Travel; Edwin Villanueva, general manager, Light Miles Travel; Tanja Dubas, head of sales and marketing, Lausanne Tourism and Convention Bureau; Shan Dioquino David, president/general manager, Corporate International Travel and Tours; Gregor Zajc, general manager, Blue Horizons Travel and Tours; Ivan Breiter, Switzerland Tourism, director of South-east Asia
A GROWING number of Swiss tourism organisations are taking a fresh look at South-east Asia, a prime source market for Switzerland.
Asians are staying longer, coming in bigger groups and offer huge potential for FIT, family and incentive travel, said Ivan Breiter, Switzerland Tourism director for South-east Asia, during a roadshow by Vaud Lake Geneva Region that made its way to the Philippines for the first time.
Breiter said the matured markets of Singapore and Malaysia are stable while Thailand is seeing huge growth. Indonesia and Vietnam meanwhile are seeing slight increments.
He added that the Philippines is one of the fastest-growing markets, having surged over 300 per cent in overnight stays during the past three years. Growth is expected to be sustained as the Swiss embassy in Manila has reduced the visa processing period from five days to between two to three days.
Francois Michel, vice president and marketing director, Vaud Lake Geneva Region, said they have included the Philippines in this year’s South-east Asia roadshow as it is its fourth biggest South-east Asian source market with high growth potential.
Coming to Manila for the first time too are representatives from Lausanne Tourism, newly-opened Royal Savoy hotel in Lausanne, Montreux-Vevey Tourism, Clinique La Prairie in Montreux, and Highlights Lake Geneva Region.
