Tourism & Hospitality | Monday 4 May, 2015 1:24 pm |

Geneva Tourism, one of Switzerland’s official tourist boards, held an exclusive event called ‘Geneva, more than you can imagine’. The event was an occasion for the elite women from the GCC to connect with each other, while exploring the beauty of Geneva.

Geneva has been a popular holiday destination amongst GCC travelers and Geneva Tourism is taking it to the next level through its collaboration with the Women Empowerment Group, Swiss International Airlines and both Hotel President Wilson Geneva and La Réserve Genève - Hotel and Spa. The VIPs attended a presentation from the board after which they participated in a Chocolate tasting competition made by an exclusive Geneva chocolate maker. During that activity, the women had to taste and guess the unique components and flavors that go into making authentic Swiss chocolates. The event was also an eye-opener for the VIP attendees and they discovered that there is much more to do in Geneva than what they already knew – outdoor, family and many other activities.

The highlight of the event, however, was the special lucky draw conducted at the end of the gathering. Asma Galadari and Lamia Hachani emerged as the lucky winners and they were awarded fully-paid trips to Geneva (2 tickets each). Each winner bundle included a Ladies Escape Package – 3 night-stay for 2 in 2 of Geneva’s most luxurious hotels, a shopping voucher, a box of the finest Swiss Chocolates and a copy of the Geneva Girls’ Guide. The prizes were given in association with SWISS, the national airline of Switzerland, both Hotel President Wilson Geneva and La Réserve Genève - Hotel and Spa.

The airline serves over 106 destinations all over the world from Zurich, Basel and Geneva. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group and a member of the Star Alliance.

The first hotel is the Starwood Luxury Collection Hotel, located on the Geneva lakeshore, facing the magnificent panorama of the Mont Blanc with the top 10 Suites in the world, awarded “World’s Leading Hotel Suite” at the World Travel Awards.

The second hotel is La Réserve Genève, a 5-star hotel and spa designed as a lodge in a world beyond time, at the heart of a green park of 10 acres on the shores of Lake Geneva.
This urban resort was awarded twice by Conde Nast Traveller as the best spa destination in the world for its Better-Aging programs and the 3rd best hotel restaurant in the world.


“Geneva is an amazing holiday destination. And now with this amazing event and prize that I just received, it has won my heart all over again”, said Asma Galadari, one of the winners of the lucky draw. “I cannot wait for my holiday! Thank you, Geneva Tourism, Swiss International Airlines, Hotel President Wilson Geneva, and La Réserve Genève - Hotel and Spa”, she added.

Apart from promoting Geneva, the event also announced the launch of Geneva Tourism’s Arabic social media pages, which will allow the tourism board to constantly stay connected with its customers. Geneva Tourism is now active on Facebook at facebook.com/GeneveTourisme and on Twitter and Instagram @genevatourismar and #genevatourismar. The company also, once again, participates in the Arabian Travel Market, on May 4, 2015. As part of its long-term association with the GCC, the company focused on endorsing Geneva as a leisure and corporate travel destination during the occasion.

“GCC tourism in Geneva has witnessed a steady increase over the past few years and the number of GCC tourists visiting Geneva have been on the rise”, said Philippe Vignon, General Manager at Geneva Tourism. “With initiatives like ‘Geneva, more than you can imagine’, we want to keep nurturing our relationship with the GCC and continue to pioneer destination promotion in the region”, he added.

After the success of this event, Geneva gears up for its biggest event for the summer – The Fêtes De Genève. The event attracts approximately 2 million visitors every year; of which many are from the GCC. The weather is pleasant and Geneva Festival has fun activities for people of all ages with a variety of food stalls along the lake, serving all kinds of cuisine. The 3-week event starts at the end of Ramadan, July 16th and ends with a spectacular firework display on August 9th.

GCC’s tourist outflow to Europe has witnessed a steady increase over the past few years and the number of GCC tourists visiting Geneva in 2014 saw a 9.7% increase compared to 2013. During this period, there was a total of 219’812 overnights. The highest percentage of these tourists were from Saudi Arabia, followed by the UAE. Saudi tourists have also been ranked first in terms of daily tourist expenditure worldwide.