Think Winter Wonderland and only one destination comes to mind. The Swiss Alps and its wooden chalets. WebBeds and Switzerland Tourism announce the winners of a “once-in-a-lifetime fam trip to Switzerland”, following a major regional B2B contest that involved travel agents from all across Asia.

The winners are: Ms. Chan Wan Cheun from Reliance Travel (Malaysia), Mr. Kamthorn Vanitkittikul from Booking Expert (Thailand), Ms. Connie Chou from Federal Vacation (Taiwan), Mr. Mine Tha Htay from Pacific Arena (Singapore), Ms. Elisa Indriani from Dwidaya Tour (Indonesia) and Ms. Janemuel Ho from Westminster Travel (Hong Kong).

Formed in 2013, WebBeds is the world’s second largest and fastest growing B2B accommodation supplier to the travel industry, operating its business through a portfolio of brands comprising JacTravel, Sunhotels, Totalstay, Lots of Hotels, Destinations of the World, (DOTW) and FIT Ruums. The “WebBeds Winter Wonderland in Switzerland” fam trip invited six top Asian travel agents to experience the many wonders of Switzerland. Taking place from 7-14 December 2018, this exciting educational adventure included return flights to and from Zurich with SWISS Air and an array of breath-taking Alpine activities.

A dream trip

The itinerary treated guests to a series of memorable activities and experiences that showcased the best of Switzerland, away from the ski slopes. These included an exclusive chocolate-making workshop in Interlaken, an unforgettable lunch while cruising on a steamer boat on scenic Lake Thun, past churches, fortresses, farmhouses and castles, a magical stroll through the Bô Noël Christmas market in Lausanne and spectacular Montreux Noël waterfront market and laser show, plus a visit to The Olympic Museum in Lausanne.

The winners also enjoyed first-class train travel across Switzerland with the Swiss Travel Pass, which entitles holders to unlimited rides on premium panoramic trains in Switzerland, public transport in more than 90 towns and cities, major discounts on mountain excursions, and free admission to more than 500 Swiss museums.

The prize trip concluded with a glittering award dinner, which was hosted in Zurich on 12 December 2018. This gave Switzerland Tourism and WebBeds the opportunity to celebrate the six winners, who were selected from the top-selling travel agencies in a major travel trade promotion launched by WebBeds and Switzerland Tourism earlier this year.

“Asian guests love the natural beauty and fresh air of Switzerland”

“Asia is a hugely important market for Switzerland Tourism. Our Asian guests love the natural beauty and fresh air of Switzerland, but our country has so much more to offer. So we are delighted to invite our esteemed Asian partners to Switzerland to experience our wonderful cities, cuisine, culture and the many outdoor activities that are available away from the ski slopes. I am confident that following our joint campaign with WebBeds, many more Asian travellers will start to discover the diverse experiences that Switzerland can offer throughout the year,” said Martin Nydegger, CEO, Switzerland Tourism.

“Aspirational destination for many Asian travellers”

“Switzerland is a truly inspirational and aspirational destination for many Asian travellers. Our campaign with Switzerland Tourism really caught the imagination of our regional travel trade partners, and we were delighted with their response. Having enjoyed Switzerland’s many attractions in person, our six winners will now be able to relate their experiences back to their clients and provide bespoke travel advice and expert recommendations in future,” commented John Guscic, managing director, Webjet Limited.

Joint ventures

This WebBeds Winter Wonderland in Switzerland fam trip marks the culmination of a year-long collaboration between Switzerland Tourism and WebBeds. Activities included a region-wide roadshow with workshops and educational events for travel agents in seven key Asian markets.

“The partnership between WebBeds and Switzerland Tourism is a wonderful example of two forward-thinking organisations coming together for the benefit of the entire industry. Since this campaign commenced with our Asian roadshow earlier this year, we have been hugely impressed by the energy, enthusiasm and expertise of our Asian travel trade partners. This wonderful gala award ceremony in Zurich was the perfect way to honour our winners, and I would like to thank everyone involved for making this campaign such a spectacular success,” said Ivan Breiter, director Southeast Asia, Switzerland Tourism.

“Travel agents all across Asia can now book the most extensive selection of Swiss hotels, 25 attraction experiences and transport options with WebBeds. I would like to congratulate all six winners and thank all of our travel agency partners for embracing Switzerland Tourism’s campaign. We will continue to work with all our like-minded B2B partners in future, to bring even more rewarding experiences to the Asian travel trade,” concluded Daryl Lee, CEO – Asia Pacific, WebBeds.