inLUCERNE
The gateway to central Switzerland sited on Lake Lucerne with a breath-taking mountainous panorama, the town of Lucerne has an awful lot to offer as a luxury meetings and incentives destination. Complemented by a beautiful lakeside setting; luxurious hotels, boutique shops, swiss chocolate and nearby excursions to the mountains of the Rigi, Pilatus and Stanserhorn, this town will leave you wanting for nothing.
We caught up with Abel Morais, Sales & Marketing MICE Manager at Lucerne Tourism to find out a little bit more about more about what makes Lucerne so special for meetings and incentives and what it’s got in store for us, as we fast approach our rescheduled event dates, which will now be 27-30 March 2022.
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Abel.
What makes Lucerne so well suited to meeting and incentive travel?
In a nutshell, the huge variety of choice in such a small space and the ability to travel from a vibrant lakeside city to a mountain peak at 3000m within an hour and a few minutes, makes this place completely unique. These two completely different landscapes in on destination are so close together making it possible for business meetings to take place as part of a conference in the city, followed by a rugged experience at the lake or in the surrounding mountains shortly afterwards. Lucerne is also centrally located in Europe and, in addition to perfect connections, it also has exceptional transport links.
What are your three favourite things about the destination?
Without a doubt – the city, the lake and the mountains. A visit is not complete if you leave out one of these. The fusion of these three components results in the actual comprehensive product of the Lucerne-Lake Lucerne Region. Lucerne is also known as pocket-sized Switzerland, due to the fact that everything is easy and quick to reach.
Do you have any exciting news for the coming year?
The Hotel Palace Luzern, with its history of over 100 years, is currently being renovated and is scheduled to reopen this year as the Mandarin Oriental Palace, Luzern. The prestigious property, located directly on the lake promenade with a sensational view of Lake Lucerne and the Alpine panorama, will be the only 5-star superior hotel in the city of Lucerne and is therefore, among other reasons, a very valuable asset for our destination.
What is your favourite incentive experience in the region and why?
I firmly believe that there is nothing more enriching than real, true experiences. And the truth of today lies in the many seminal innovations that build on the traditions and values of initial simplicity. It is therefore obvious that the symbiosis resulting from this combination is one of the most formative experiences one can gather in our destination.
A little foretaste: boarding on a hybrid boat in Lucerne, sitting back and enjoying the trip to the village of Vitznau while passing historic hotels, vineyards, small villages and famous mountains is just as scenic as the destination one is heading to, Mount Rigi. Once in Vitznau, take Europe's first cogwheel railway up to Rigi Kulm at 1,797 metres above sea level, where you will meet Franz Toni, the iconic Rigi farmer. This man will introduce you to the secrets of cheese making and under his supervision, you will actually make your own cheese - starting with milking the cow. This is just a small excerpt from one of the many experiences Lucerne has to offer.
What are you most looking forward to at the March event with inVOYAGE in Lucerne?
On the one hand, meeting like-minded people, forging strong relationships and creating a fundamental basis to facilitate and discuss potential business.
On the other hand, we are very proud and honoured to present our destination to the global premium travel and incentive industry, together with our partner and actual host, the Bürgenstock Resort. We are looking forward to many enriching experiences and to showcasing our very own definition of luxury.
See you in Lucerne, your pocket-sized Switzerland!