To announce it to the media is GastroTicino, of which Suter is president. In addition to this office, Massimo Suter is vice president of the national association of restaurants and hotels and vice president of Ticino Tourism.

In accepting the new position, Suter explained that “the hospitality sector, ie hotels and restaurants, contributes significantly to Switzerland's attractiveness as a tourist destination. In other words, only with an intact, lively and quality hospitality sector is our country attractive as a tourist destination. What our guests experience in the hotel and restaurant decisively shapes their image of Switzerland as a holiday destination."

As Vice President of GastroSuisse, Massimo Suter will also represent the interests and potential of around 22 member companies within Switzerland Tourism, of which around 2.500 are hotels.
The hospitality sector is therefore strengthened by this appointment which will also have positive effects for Ticino.

Hospitality and tourism industry

The hospitality and tourism industries are inextricably linked: “This is why it is important to be united in both good and bad times. This need – underlined Massimo Suter – is today more evident than ever. With inflation and the rising cost of living, travel also becomes more expensive and when fewer guests come to the country, both the hospitality industry and tourism suffer. This is a particularly serious problem in valleys and villages that live mainly from tourism. In order to counteract this development and ensure that Switzerland continues to be perceived as a tourist destination, good networking between the hospitality industry, hotels and tourism is a strategic success factor”.

Massimo Suter's projects

Looking to the future, Suter highlighted how his attention will be mainly dedicated to the development of the "product", because he believes that before communication it is necessary to invest in the offer: "Tourism is a product that we do not control directly and, therefore, only through a good collaboration with the territory we can support him in the change”.

But what will be the challenges of tourism?
“To define them, it is necessary to carry out a continuous work of analysis of market trends, understanding the dynamics and habits of the different targets. The proposed experiences are declined according to their origin, relating their interests to the products of our strategic segments. And let's not forget that the equation 'more tourists = more induced' does not always give the desired results, as demonstrated by overtourism”.

GastroTicino

Founded in 1904, it is the largest employers' association in the hotel and restaurant industry in the Canton of Ticino, bringing together over 1 owners/hoteliers, divided into the regional sections GastroLagoMaggiore and Valli, GastroBellinzona Alto Ticino, GastroLugano and Gastro-Mendrisiotto.