As the segment of sophisticated and free independent travellers from Asia grows larger, destinations that were once aspirational have become banal for this lot, putting pressure on outbound travel agents to come up with new ideas to please clients.

Combine Venice and its lagoons with the Dolomites and agents will in effect be offering their clients two UNESCO World Heritage Sites at one go.

Venice and the Dolomites are only a 2.5 hours drive away. While the former is known to every well-clad Asian tourist, the same cannot be said of the Dolomites. Currently, it is fair to say only the discerning Asians would have the Dolomites on their radar, like the couple from Singapore and Hong Kong who recently booked out the entire Queen of the Alps hotel, Rosa Alpina Hotel & Spa (see right) for their wedding. They could have chosen Florence or Rome, but they chose the village of San Cassiano, 1,537m above sea level in the tourist district of Alta Badia. The village has only 750 inhabitants. The Dolomites: A name befittingly close to ‘dynamite’ and ‘dynamic’ – every bit this unique mountain range in the northern Italian Alps it is. Venice has feminine, wily charms, while the Dolomites exudes masculine, single-focus power. A contrast that is so perfect and compelling – think ‘His’ & ‘Hers ’, Ying & Yang, Snow & Ice.

Unlike triangle mounds most mountains are, the Dolomites are exquisite pinnacles, spires, towers, dramatic vertical limestone walls and various sculptural forms in a great diversity of colours. Comprising 18 peaks rising to above 3,000m and covering 141,903ha, the Dolomites is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Italy had done well last year. According to results from the European Cities Marketing-MKG report, the city of Milan experienced the strongest RevPAR in Europe in the first three quarters of 2015, over the same period last year, thanks to Expo Milan which was held from May 1 to October 31. The city of romance, Venice, too, was ahead of 2014, experiencing an average daily rate rise of over 19 per cent, leading to a RevPAR increase of 17.3 per cent.

Overall, 2015 was the Year of Europe, which was world’s most visited region with a five per cent increase in arrivals compared with four per cent for Asia-Pacific, the Americas and the Middle East, while Africa looks set to decline five per cent, going by UNWTO’s preliminary figures.

This article was first published in TTG Asia, January 8, 2016 issue, on page 14. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.

A quiet village in Switzerland that prides itself on having just “1,000 inhabitants, 1,000 sheep, 1,000 guest beds” has been hurled into the limelight as starchitects descend upon it to build projects that capture the imagination.A quiet village in Switzerland that prides itself on having just “1,000 inhabitants, 1,000 sheep, 1,000 guest beds” has been hurled into the limelight as starchitects descend upon it to build projects that capture the imagination.

Vals, 1,250m above sea level in the canton of Graubunden, is famous for a hotel and thermal spa designed by award-winning Swiss architect Peter Zumthor; also for the bottled mineral water, Valser, and its beautiful Valsian quartzite.

There isn’t much else.

However, a new owning company of the hotel has given the hotel the kind of attention reserved for celebrities, thanks to its bold expansion plan to build an iPhone-slim tower extension designed by American architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis. Another starchitect, Tadao Ando, is designing a meditation park, Valser Path, within the complex.

Formerly known as Therme Hotel & Spa, the resort has been renamed 7132 Hotel (7132 being the postal code of Vals). The new owning company, 7132 Ltd, is led by Remo Stoffel, an entrepreneur who was born in Vals and who bought the property from the local community three years ago.

The new tower is a startlingly slender 381m tall building with 107 rooms – virtually one room per floor – with a transparent exterior sheen that will mirror the mountains. If all goes well, it will open in 2019. But first, the company must win the votes of the community for the tower. To this end, it has set up a gallery with large-scale models of the extension, so that the locals could view the plan and have their concerns addressed.

But even without a brick being laid for the new tower, a metamorphosis has already occured at the existing hotel, which aims to attract international jet-setters, including well-heeled Asians, to Vals.

Renovations at the hotel, which comprises the main wing and another wing called Selva House, have been completed. The latter, renamed House of Architects, now fields 13 new rooms designed by yet another starchitect, Kengo Kuma, and 18 new rooms by Ando. Both are highly-skilled at deflecting a 20m2 space with their eye-popping minimalist design and unique effects. Kuma for instance uses warm, curved wooden panels to create a soft cocoon of a room, while Ando sliced off a rectangular space to create a bathroom that is triangle in shape.

Morphosis’ Mayne is also designing another 20 rooms which will be ready by summer this year, revealed the hotel’s managing director, Sonia Dietrich.

These new rooms join 20 retro-chic rooms designed by Peter Zumthor, completing the concept to offer designer rooms in the House of Architects.

In the main building, three new 90m2 suites designed by Kuma have also opened. Each suite booking comes with a helicopter or a limousine at guest disposal in case he spontaneously wants to lunch in Geneva, shop in Zurich, whatever takes his fancy, included in the rate of CHF2,480 (US$2,515) per night. The 35 Zumthor rooms in the main building – larger at 24-30m2 compared with those in the House of Architects (18-20m2) and more luxuriously furnished – have also been spruced up, with new bathrooms designed by Kuma.

The new meditation park, Valser Path, meanwhile, is scheduled for completion in 2017. Both the park and the new tower are within the hotel complex, which sits above the town centre and blends quietly into the natural surroundings. The Valser Path is open to the whole community, not just hotel guests.

Dietrich said the main difference since the new ownership came onboard was that, “for the first time since 30 years, we have the vision, plans and money to invest”.

“It is now difficult for Switzerland to get good guests because the Swiss franc is strong. You can’t build a three-star hotel, you need something unique to compete. We have to go this way,” she said.

She believed the changes at 7132 Hotel would draw more top-paying guests who love architecture and design, thermal springs, a destination that does not attract mass tourism,  top-notch service and F&B (one of the hotel’s restaurants is helmed by Sven Wassmer who previously worked for three-Michelin-star Andreas Caminada).

Prospects from Asia are good, she said. “Even though there aren’t a lot of Asian guests at the moment, it might improve in time with the Japanese architects’ involvement. Most of the Asian guests we have are FITs from South Korea, Japan and China and their main reason for coming here is the therme, the architecture and a desire to enjoy unspoilt areas of Switzerland,” Dietrich said.

Prices have increased following the renovations and rates have been simplified: CHF390 for rooms in the House of Architects, CHF590 for rooms in the main building and CHF2,480 for the suites.

This article was first published in TTG Asia, January 8, 2016 issue, on page 14. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.

The rising popularity of Switzerland may be put to test this year as Asian currencies weaken

Two major developments – Asian currency depreciation, which continues to slow travel from South-east Asia, and recent terrorist attacks and threats to Europe – will determine how Switzerland inbound will fare this year.

In the aftermath of the November attacks in Paris which were followed by terrorist threats to Belgium and England, travel consultants are looking out for alternative destinations in Europe – Switzerland and lesser-known cities included – as they expect the general demand for the continent to drop this year.

Ian Evasco, retail team leader-travel products of Adventure International Tour, Philippines concurred that tourists could divert to Switzerland as “it is in the heart of Europe and has always been a very safe and secure destination, which is very important”.

Indeed, safety and security have always been Switzerland’s selling point, apart from its natural charm as an “all-time, all-season destination” with clean air, water and environment and efficient transport system.

But its expensive image – dearer than Paris and other more popular European countries – is a challenge, according to South-east Asia travel consultants who attended the 18th Switzerland Travel Mart in Zermatt last September.

They noted that the depreciation of a basket of Asian currencies made Switzerland even more expensive, while the economic and political situation in specific countries kept people hesitant to travel. So much so that towards the end of 2015, business from Singapore and Malaysia to Switzerland were reported as “bad”, and from Indonesia “very bad”.

While Switzerland is not about to cheapen its prices, it is luring Asian FITs, families, repeats and mini groups with value-added products. Foremost of these

is the Swiss Travel Pass for unlimited travel by rail, road or waterways across the country.

Cynthia Tan, operations director of Roystar Travel & Tours, Malaysia, said considering the expensive public transport in Europe, the Swiss Travel Pass made Switzerland affordable, enabling travellers to stay longer and see more.

There is good demand for the pass, agreed Yen Thing, tours consultant of Boustead Travel Services, Malaysia as the pass also features attractive discounts for youths and adults and is free for kids below 16 years old, among perks.

Feliz Gracielle Axalan, marketing executive, Tradewings Tours & Travel, Philippines, foresees ample potential for Switzerland from the new and small Philippine market which still “lacks awareness” of the destination.

She said that Switzerland’s continued marketing and promotions would unlock opportunities in groups, corporates, students travelling on semester breaks and young employees going on summer vacations.

Another new market, Vietnam, is still small but there is potential including for luxury travel, said Dang Tran Thuc Doan, director of strategic planning for Tourist Service & Trading Corp.

In Asia, Switzerland Tourism works largely with the travel trade and its director of South-east Asia, Ivan Breiter, said it “can help with pricing” by advising agents to step up sales during the low and shoulder seasons, and during weekdays, when rates are lower.

Breiter said 40 per cent of tourists from South-east Asia were generated during the shoulder season.

This article was first published in TTG Asia, January 8, 2016 issue, on page 14. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.