How do you come to be so young to play such a prestigious role in a company like Hotelplan?
«I have been very lucky in often finding myself in the right place at the right time; Furthermore, I have always been given the opportunity to carry out stimulated tasks. Personal development is very important to me. I am very curious, I want to learn and sometimes I even take risks. At the same time I am a passionate person: if something excites me, I dedicate myself completely to it."
What pushed you to become who you are now?
«I have always been very curious and adventurous. I have traveled a lot with my family since I was little, I spent a year in Spain during my studies and I traveled to more than ten countries on four continents during my time working as a management consultant. I also want to discover the world with my children and my husband: before Covid, for example, we spent six weeks together in Asia. I am also fascinated by the changes and opportunities offered by digitalisation. And I want to do my part for the future of our planet. In Hotelplan Group I can combine these passions and make a difference together with a very committed team."
Hotelplan is a company in which 54% of management positions are occupied by women, probably unique in Switzerland. A case or merit of a far-sighted company policy?
«For us at Hotelplan Group it is important to find the most suitable person for each position. However, it must be remembered that the percentage of women working in the tourism sector is relatively high, so much so that 70% of our workforce is made up of women. This is inevitably reflected in an above-average female presence at all management levels. Despite this, when I took on the role of CEO in 2021 I was the only female member of the Executive Committee; today there are three. In general we attach great importance to diversity and equal opportunities in a global sense, which goes beyond pure gender equality and also includes age, experience, education, etc.
Appointed CEO of a tourism group in 2021, still in the midst of the pandemic. Were you not afraid to face such a challenge?
«When I was appointed CEO I had already been a member of the Board of Directors of Hotelplan Group since 2018, so I knew the company very well. The pandemic has certainly been a great challenge for tourism, however I have always been very confident that the sector would recover and quickly return to the previous status quo. We were also privileged to have the support and financial security of the Federation of Migros Cooperatives."
How is the Hotelplan group doing today?
«After two years of losses due to the pandemic, we have had two positive years. We owe this to our committed and knowledgeable employees, who do their work with passion and create extraordinary travel experiences for our customers. During the pandemic we also redefined our strategy: we constantly focus on an excellent customer experience and sustainability, and today we are reaping the first fruits."
After the pandemic, the climate crisis, the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East, the increase in energy costs. How do you see 2024 for the travel industry?
«Bookings for 2024 have been positive so far. In particular, there has been an increase in demand for long-haul travel compared to the previous year. However, it is difficult to predict future developments, especially given the geopolitical situation and natural events. But I am confident, even if the travel industry is always put to the test by crises. However, as a quality tour operator we offer great added value to our customers: they know that they can count on us in any situation and that we are available 24 hours a day, 24 days a week. Our customers appreciate this very much."
Ten years ago travel agencies, like newspapers, were declared moribund, killed by the advent of the internet and digitalisation. Despite a thousand difficulties, both newspapers and agencies are still alive. Will they survive long? And how will their work evolve?
«Both the media and travel industries have evolved and transformed significantly in recent years. For us in the tourism sector, it remains essential to create an excellent experience for our customers through all channels, along the entire journey, including digital. For this reason we have firmly anchored digitalisation in our strategy. Today we generate over 50% of our sales online, but our branches are also doing very well. Our employees not only provide advice on site, but also virtually or by telephone. I am convinced that the need for reliable advice and a high level of service will remain high, which is why we continue to invest in our branch network and constantly modernize existing ones. We believe in the future of our fixed offices."
One day, perhaps, virtual reality will arrive, so we will be able to put on a pair of glasses in our living room and immediately find ourselves on the other side of the world. Competition or possibility?
«For us the metaverse is another channel of travel content. Traveling has a lot to do with inspiration. In a virtual world our customers can explore places and imagine what they are like in almost the same way as browsing catalogues, travel guides, watching videos or listening to stories from other countries. However, the metaverse certainly won't replace physical travel. In fact, you travel with all five senses: listening to the call of animals in the jungle, feeling the sand under your feet or experiencing the lifestyle of a city cannot be replaced by the metaverse. However, we have created a first pilot project on this theme at Hotelplan Suisse, creating a space with three different rooms where we are organizing events."
More travel also means more pollution and less sustainability. What is Hotelplan doing to remedy this situation?
«Sustainability is an important pillar of our strategy. We take ecological, economic and social aspects into account and have set ourselves very ambitious goals: in terms of climate protection we have committed to halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and to reaching net zero by 2050 at the latest, as part of the United Nations World Tourism Organization's “Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism”. We are therefore continuously expanding our sustainable proposals, for example by making certified accommodation or railway packages available to our customers. We are also the first tour operator to make sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) available in collaboration with Swiss. However, we can only achieve our goals in close collaboration with our partners. For this reason we also finance or co-finance sustainability support activities in our destinations, for example in Turkey. We are making a total of ten million Swiss francs available for these projects. Last but not least, it is important for us to raise awareness among our customers and increase transparency, for example with new filter options on our websites. We don't have all the answers yet, but I can assure you that we work every day to make our travels more sustainable."
When Gottlieb Duttweiler, the founder of Migros, launched Hotelplan in 1935, his goal was to enable people of modest means to go on holiday. What remains of this idea?
«This objective is still firmly anchored in our DNA. As a group, with our 14 brands and travel companies we cover a broad product portfolio for different market segments. With Interhome, for example, our customers can find apartments and holiday homes for all needs and budgets. Hotel plan is synonymous with personalized service for individual holidays and excellent quality, where our customers are pampered and don't have to worry about anything. If you are looking for adventures on unknown paths, you are in the right place with travelhouse and tourisme pour tous. Finally, Migros Ferien offers convenient holiday packages for customers who wish to book conveniently online."
