Workation Switzerland: A New Service Platform for Companies and Tourism Regions

18.09.2023 – 14:01

Aletsch Arena AG

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• Media release-Wor~Gstaad-20230918.pdf
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Workation, a combination between “work” and “vacation”, i.e. between work and vacation, is trendy. A new market has emerged for the tourism regions that needs to be cultivated actively and professionally. With the development throughout Switzerland unique service platform “Workation Switzerland” they want Aletsch Arena AG and Gstaad Saanenland Tourism with Workation take advantage of the associated opportunities for their destinations.

In the workation segment, tourism providers are often faced with large, internationally active companies that want to enable their employees to spend workation stays. Attractive accommodations with a good internet connection are not enough for them to choose a provider. Rather, a whole range of services is required along the entire customer journey. “For guests from abroad, for example, this starts with issues such as work and residence permits. “They also have specific needs during their stay that need to be met through appropriate offers and packages from a single source,” says Philipp Sproll, Managing Director of Aletsch Arena AG and co-initiator of the project.

Flurin Riedi, Gstaad’s tourism director and also a co-initiator, emphasizes the need to be able to meet international companies on an equal footing. «Professional workation offers are aimed at decision-makers in the management and human resources departments of companies. “That’s where we decide which providers we should work with,” Riedi continued.

Building a shared service organization

Workation is a new business area in tourism that will develop dynamically over the next few years. The individual destinations generally do not have the necessary know-how to be able to handle all topics competently and efficiently. Tasks that do not necessarily have to be carried out within a destination should therefore be delegated in a bundled form to a competent partner.

For this reason, Aletsch Arena AG and Gstaad Saanenland Tourism are launching the project “Workation Switzerland – B2B offer in Alpine Switzerland” with the aim of building a platform that takes care of all issues at the interface between supply and demand and this service to interested companies. The aim is not to reinvent the world, which is why the platform intends to work with existing service providers where sensible and necessary.

“In the medium term, not only the Aletsch Arena and Gstaad, but also other destinations in Switzerland should benefit from the services of this organization,” says Philipp Sproll, adding that it is about offering attractive destination-specific workation packages for companies and Switzerland’s position in international competition by pooling forces.

Workation as an opportunity for tourism regions and companies alike

Workation offers individuals and corporate teams an inspiring environment and the appropriate offers that enable the right balance between “work” and “vacation” depending on the occasion. If the mix is ​​right, it has a lasting positive impact on the performance and satisfaction of employees. For many companies there is a need for action in this area, as flexible working models are a central factor for qualified specialists in choosing a company and committing to it in the long term. For more and more people, a workation offer is part of the overall package.

“We want to make a contribution to ensuring that workation guests feel comfortable with us and can work productively,” says Philippe Sproll. This creates a win-win situation for the companies, their employees and the service providers in the tourist destinations. Flurin Riedi adds: “The medium-term goal is to be able to offer companies a cross-destination comprehensive Workation offering from a single source. This would help us to extend the tourist season in winter and summer».

Start with a pilot project in the Aletsch Arena

In the first phase of the project attractive workation offers have been developed in the Aletsch Arena destination. From this it is derived which tasks the planned “shared service” organization should take on and how the organization should be designed. The findings are then transferred to the destination of Gstaad.

The project started in August 2023 and will last around one and a half years. The first concrete workation offers are scheduled to be launched in the Aletsch Arena in spring 2024.

The federal government supports the Workation Switzerland project – B2B offers in Alpine Switzerland” as part of Innotour – promoting innovation in tourism. conim ag, Zurich is supporting the project in collaboration with Bergspitzmedia AG, Kerzers.

Contact persons for media inquiries

Philipp Sproll, Managing Director of Aletsch Arena AG, [email protected] +41 27 928 58 58

Aletsch Arena AG, Furkastrasse 39, 3983 Mörel-Filet, [email protected], www.aletscharena.ch

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