Degree theses from the bachelor’s degree programme in Tourism - University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons

Abstract: Guides play a fundamental role in the operation of the Swiss Pavilion. Consequently, they have an essential influence on the success of Presence Switzerland (PRS), the organiser of the Swiss presence at World Exhibitions (Expos). Guides welcome visitors, guide them around and represent Switzerland positively. At the last Expos in Japan 2005 and Spain 2008, various problems arose among the team. As a result, to reduce the chances of problems at future Expos, this bachelor thesis pursues three main objectives: determining the significance of guides in the Swiss Pavilion, finding out the profile of an ideal guide and coming up with suggestions for the handling of guides at future Expos. This paper contains an introduction, a theoretical part, a practical section, results, recommendations and conclusions. Whereas the theoretical part analyses literature, the practical part considers interviews as well as case studies. This bachelor thesis gives PRS a better understanding what a guide is and how important he is for the achievement of the Swiss Pavilion and finally of PRS.

Abstract: The current Covid-19 pandemic poses major challenges for Swiss Int. Airlines. There is a threat of a permanent decline in the business travel segment, which in turn is associated with immense losses. In order to compensate for these declines, it is important to increasingly encourage guests from the leisure sector to travel in business class or the new premium economy class. Knowledge of customers' willingness to pay is essential for the optimal design and implementation of pricing policy measures. This bachelor thesis deals in detail with the willingness to pay for long-haul flights. In this context, the focus was also on the price sensitivity of various segments. Influences on booking behavior were investigated and analysed. The findings were obtained with an online survey, which included the price query as well as an in-depth segmentation. In addition, insights were gained from interviews with a travel agent and two passengers from different segments.

Abstract: Sports sponsoring has become one of the fastest growing marketing tools worldwide. Another issue that is of growing importance is corporate social responsibility (CSR). Also the field of sports sponsoring has to cope with the increasing expectations regarding CSR. A controversial subject in this area is the sports sponsoring through the alcohol industry. Prevention institutions have serious concerns regarding the partnership between the sports and alcohol industry. The purpose of this Bachelor thesis is to find out whether the sports sponsoring of alcohol producers is likely to become banned in Switzerland and how sports sponsoring breweries can fulfil CSR aspects without sacrificing the efficiency of sponsoring activities. The controversy on sports sponsoring through the alcohol industry has been discussed in the literature before. However, it has not yet been investigated how probable a corresponding ban in Switzerland is and what breweries can do to cope with this controversy. To assess the situation in Switzerland the specific case of Feldschlösschen’s ice hockey sponsoring was studied. Data was collected through expert interviews with different authoritative institutions and stakeholders from the Swiss ice hockey industry.

Abstract: With the intensification of the relations between Switzerland and Vietnam in times of globalization, mainly with the increase in economic activities, the amount of intercultural interactions between members of the two countries will augment simultaneously. Undoubtedly, two very divers’ cultures encounter. The globalization and integration of commerce is one thing, but the assimilation and management of this immense cultural diversity that goes along, is another. The aim of this thesis is to demonstrate the cultural differences between the two countries. It intends to provide the reader with selected background information of both nations to recall the context in which every culture is anchored («the bigger picture»). Recommendations and practical tips about how to handle the diversity are designed to help one to find its way throughout the sometimes challenging multicultural encounters. The core objective is to make understandable why each culture reacts in a certain way, what the reasons for the divers behaviours are, and how arising conflict situation from this can be solved and/or prevented.

Abstract: The thesis focuses on summer holidays in particular on hiking holidays in Liechtenstein. At first the thesis begins with an environmental analysis to find out about the newest trends in the market which have an impact on the tourism industry. The focus is mainly on demographic, economic, ecologic, technologic and political developments. Then special attention will be given to the analysis of the destination itself. All for the tourist relevant aspects of the destination are described and evaluated. Afterwards, the market potential of the hiking market is evaluated and the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities of Liechtenstein as a hiking destination are exposed. Next, an analysis of the direct competitors is made. The main focus of the competitor analysis is set on the product offers and marketing strategy of each destination. After all these analysis, suitable market segments are described and marketing goals are defined. Finally, a marketing strategy is developed and with the support of the marketing P’s (price, product, place, promotion, partnership, physical evidence, people, process and packages) described.

Abstract: The aim of this thesis is to find out all components which are essential when striving for a successful international broadcast of a large-scale event. The thesis is mainly structured in five parts. In the first part several definitions are given to explain the task and show its limitations. In the second part, from multiple sources, all success-factors for an international broadcast are gathered and explained in detail. The organizational, technical and hospitality requirements of broadcasters on spot during an event are listed in the third part. This overall desk research builds the basis for the qualitative interviews with event-organizers and broadcasters of largescale events which present the fourth part of the thesis. On the one hand event-organizers share their experiences from daily business, explaining how media work should be conducted to meet the broadcasters’ needs. This media work includes the preparatory work before the event takes place. On the other hand broadcasters state their requirements before, during and after the events, to guarantee maximum efficiency thereby ensuring a successful broadcast. With all these inputs a handbook is presented which consolidates best practice from a literature review and interviews. It shows by means of check-points the approach of event-organizers before, during and after the event to guarantee a successful broadcast.

Abstract: Nowadays many municipalities join and become one destination. This can mean a lot of advantages, as different tasks can be bunched in one office which means the communication is much easier and more unanimous. Furthermore, expenses in different fields can be decreased, when municipalities decided to work together as one. Also the likelihood of duplicity can be reduced. Due to those mentioned facts among others, the upper Engadin decided in the year of 2006 to be one destination, called Engadin St. Moritz. The goal of this merger was to strengthen the value chain, attract more tourists and make the whole region more attractive. Even it was a very good decision to make this fusion, the destination still misses a holistic image and tried to positions itself in the market without avail. Their main wish is to enhance the awareness of the destination name and create a clear positioning. The main goal of this assignment is to find a holistic positioning for the destination and to strengthen this, through specific events. On the one hand, existing events are improved and on the other hand, new events are invented, to reach the goal of a repositioning.

Abstract: The Swiss hostel market is changing from dusty old-fashioned youth hostels into innovative, sustainable budget accommodations. Simultaneously overnight stays are increasing in the lower price segment, leading to the question whether used maritime containers can be re utilized for the Swiss hostel, This Bachelor thesis analyses and compares existing projects made of used shipping containers, describes trends and gives suggestions for further use within the hostel industry or short-term lodging opportunities during events. The main part consists of a situation analysis of the current hostel market in Switzerland, the evaluation of a potential target group through quantitative research as well as the location analysis, focusing on the temporary and flexible use of containers. After a calculation of the costs, profitability scenarios are deducted, demonstrating the financial viability of the project. As a result, specific recommendations will be given to Magellan Container Management Services GmbH.

Abstract: People who work in Switzerland receive their job references when they leave an employer. The importance of a letter of reference is high, both for candidates applying for a new job and for potential future employers assessing the candidates. Companies aim to optimize the processes of issuing job references and to improve the quality of the content. Organizational processes, editorial contents, and psychological aspects of the preparation of job references are examined in this Bachelor thesis. As a case study, the job reference processes at Swissport International Ltd. Station Zurich are examined. Recommendations are developed for Swissport's optimization of the practice of job references. The research of this thesis is based on a literature review, on expert interviews, on benchmark interviews with HR managers of UBS, SWISS, and Migros, as well as on interviews with Swissport managers and personnel. As a result of the interpretation of the considerable input from theory and practice, conclusions for the optimization process at Swissport are formulated as recommendations with different options.

Abstract: Der Kanton Basel-Landschaft führt ab 2014 eine Gasttaxe ein. Diese soll genutzt werden, um den Tourismus in Baselland zu fördern. Diesbezüglich wurde unter anderem gesetzlich bestimmt, dass einerseits ein Mobility-Ticket, gültig auf dem ganzen Netz des Tarifverbunds Nordwestschweiz, und andererseits eine Gästekarte abgegeben wird. Die Leistungen der Gästekarte sind noch zu bestimmen. Mit dieser Bachelorarbeit werden die zusätzlichen Leistungsangebote erarbeitet. Anfangs wird mittels bestehender Literatur das Wesen einer Gästekarte vorgestellt. Die Erwartungen der unterschiedlichen Gäste, Geschäfts- und Freizeitreisenden, sollen durch Befragung verschiedener Beherbergungsbetriebe ausfindig gemacht werden. Auch die Anliegen der Hotellerie und Parahotellerie können so in die Gestaltung der Gästekarte einfliessen. Mittels Fallstudien zweier Destinationen werden des Weiteren unterschiedliche Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten der Angebotspalette einer Gästekarte vorgestellt. Die Erkenntnisse aus dieser Untersuchung dienen als Empfehlungsgrundlage für die Inkludierung der möglichen Leistungen in der zukünftigen Gästekarte Baselland.

Abstract: Mountain biking has evolved fast in recent years and Swiss Cycling is aware of this fact. This Bachelor thesis deals with individual trend disciplines of the mountain bike industry, the socalled Gravity disciplines, and their touristic potential. Furthermore, the future role of Swiss Cycling in terms of mountain biking is examined. The theoretical part consists of a market demand analysis, a stakeholder analysis and finally, trends in tourism and sports are discussed. The empirical part includes the findings of a survey which was conducted during the Swiss Mountain Bike Championship in Chur in 2009. Secondly, experts in the field of the mountain bike industry discuss the service and infrastructure requirements of the Gravity scene and the evaluation of touristic potential. Additionally, concepts are formulated about the tasks of Swiss Cycling, how best to integrate the mountain bike sport in the organization and how to attract new members to the sport. The findings then provide recommendations for tourism destinations and Swiss Cycling with individual concepts.

Abstract: The Swiss tourism industry largely depends on external factors in order to be economically successful. However, only very little has been done in the area of early warning. Therefore, it happens quite often that the industry is insufficiently prepared for trends that might have an effect on turnover. This Bachelor thesis introduces an early warning system designed for the Swiss tourism industry. The system will be able to show major long-term trends and give recommendations on how to deal with them. The aim of the feasibility study is to find out how much effort is involved and what the benefits of such a system would be. Furthermore, it examines whether or not there is a demand for such a warning in the industry. In order to estimate this, 17 interviews were conducted, in which experts from different sub-industries were questioned. At the end of the thesis, a realistic approach on how to proceed with this earlywarning system is presented and also other alternatives are suggested, including what further steps can be taken. Thanks to this paper, Switzerland Tourism will be able to decide whether or not to develop such a system.

Abstract: Ever since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, our travel behavior has changed significantly. As there has not been a comparable pandemic in our globalized world until now, it is challenging to foresee the future development of leisure air travel. This thesis is aimed at addressing the question of how leisure air travel will continue to develop after the corona crisis. The study incorporates elements of consumer behavior, learnings from past crises as well as an insight into the airline industry. Besides looking at existing literature and theories, opinions from the travel industry were collected through expert interviews. In order to discover the overall attitude towards air travel, a web survey was conducted among Swiss residents. Findings from the research methods were analyzed and the potential development of air travel in the future is discussed.

Abstract: The packaged leisure offers of PostAuto Graubünden are currently facing serious challenges due to declining sales numbers in recent times. The purpose of this IBT is to give suggestions to PostAuto on how to improve the communication and the distribution strategy to make people more aware of the offers and to relaunch sales. The paper first gives a brief overview and outlook to the Swiss leisure travel market in which PostAuto Graubünden has to operate, followed by current theory about marketing communication and distribution. Also a short chapter about sales throughout the last years is provided. After this, the actual communication and distribution of the company is depicted and in the end compared with the theory. Deduced from this are recommendations on how to improve the situation for those offers, concerning the communication and the distribution.

Abstract: Due to the fact that the negative influences on the earth’s ecosystems, caused by human activities, are getting deteriorated, it is high time to think about strategies to conserve the environment. Since the hotel industry constitutes a considerable part of the world’s industry, it is quite sensible to aim for sustainable hotel development. Therefore, the overall goal of this thesis is to develop a handbook which enables hotels to achieve certification according to the ISO 14001 environmental management system requirements. In order to understand the components of the aspired handbook, the literature review deals with the Swiss hotel industry, environmental sustainability in the hotel industry, environmental management systems in general and the specific requirements of ISO 14001. Based on the theory of the literature review, the first version of the handbook is developed. To guarantee the practical application and the fulfilment of the ISO 14001 requirements, the first version of the handbook is subjected to empirical research. After the analysis and evaluation of the results of this empirical research, a revised and improved handbook is demonstrated. At the very end, recommendations concerning future research are presented.

Abstract: The aim of this individual diploma thesis is to establish a strategic business model for a hotel that is run as a social firm. Social firms offer disabled and disadvantaged persons a chance on the labor market. The paper is mainly made up of two parts. The first part provides the theoretical background information about social firms and also analyzes the present situation of social firms in Switzerland. The second part of the paper concentrates more on the practical side. A concrete strategic business model for a hotel that is run as a social firm is established. This hotel is located in Davos and the idea for this project emerged from a cooperation between Caritas Graubünden and Davos. A business strategy and a management system are established, the products and services are described and the market is analyzed. Furthermore, a marketing and sales strategy is developed and the human resources are looked at in detail, as this is an essential topic in a social firm. Moreover, the infrastructure that is needed based on the strategic approach is defined. The closing word sums up the whole topic.

Abstract: The appreciation of the Swiss currency represents a major challenge for tourism destinations in Switzerland. Tourists from Euro-regions are discouraged by the sudden increase in price level of more than 25% in real terms since the end of 2007 and Swiss guests are therefore also more attracted to cheaper vacations in the Euro-region. Hence, a profound understanding of the development of the Swiss Franc and its impact on guests visiting Swiss destinations is needed to competently react in this situation. In literature, the influence of exchange rate movements on tourism has partly been discussed; however, barely any generalizable findings with reference to Swiss destinations can be drawn. Thus, this bachelor thesis aims at filling some of these existing gaps. Moreover, it shall help Lenzerheide Marketing & Support AG to implement measures to successfully cope with the strong Swiss Franc. For this purpose, 130 guest surveys, 26 online stakeholder questionnaires and five expert interviews with leaders of Swiss tourism destinations have been lead.

Abstract: Living in a system where many more health offers have become available for tourists, companies operating in this business have to position themselves to maintain and attract new tourists. The overall scope of this Bachelor Thesis is to make recommendations for A.Vogel GmbH about how to increase sales of A.Vogel products. The thesis consists of three main sections. First, the theoretical part discusses contemporary literature of touristic health products and its promotion strategies. This also helps to reveal the nature of the target group. Secondly, in the empirical part, qualitative in-depth interviews with experts are held in order to evaluate how similar companies are handling visitor’ management and marketing strategies. In addition, a focus group discusses improvements of current marketing strategies and possible integration of A.Vogel products into tourism industry. Finally, theoretical issues are combined with practical findings in order to develop a successful product package and to make further recommendations for the company. In summary, this paper provides a product development with the objective to integrate A.Vogel products successfully into the tourism and leisure industry and, hence, to an increase in sales.

Abstract: China's violent nationalist politic in Tibet from 1949 on led to a massive exodus of Tibetan people. However, these refugees managed to survive and reconstruct their collective identity in exile. The purpose of this thesis is, first, to describe this identity: their basic values, the role of religion and of the Dalai Lama, the political and their economic organization, and the community structure. Second, a cooperative tourism concept is developed, aiming to raise awareness among travellers for the Tibetan exile community’s achievements. To benefit from first-hand knowledge and experience, a field trip to McLeod Ganj (Dharamsala) in Northern India was undertaken to conduct expert interviews and to explore the place’s potential for understanding the Tibetan community’s life. McLeod Ganj being the ‘capital’ of the Tibetan community and the location where an important number lives, the city will be an important part of the tour to be developed.

Abstract: Raiffeisen ist die drittgrösste Bankengruppe der Schweiz. Dabei ist Raiffeisen Schweiz für die strategische Führung der gesamten Raiffeisen Gruppe zuständig und unterstützt die Raiffeisen Banken in der Koordination von unterschiedlichen Aktivitäten. Auch Events sind Teil davon. Gerade in der durch die Corona Pandemie geprägten Zeit ist ein Um- und Andersdenken in der Eventbranche gefragt, dies merkt auch Raiffeisen Schweiz. Ziel dieser Bachelorarbeit ist, herauszufinden, was die Generationen X und Y als Zielgruppe für Erwartungen gegenüber digitale/hybrid/virtuell durchgeführten Veranstaltungen haben. Anhand einer standardisierten Online-Befragung werden Vertretende dieser Generationen nach ihren Erfahrungen, Bedürfnissen und Erwartungen befragt. Basierend auf diesen Antworten und der Theorie kann ein Handlungsempfehlungs-Katalog entwickelt werden, welcher als Grundlage für künftige, von Raiffeisen Schweiz durchgeführten, Veranstaltungen verwendet werden kann

Abstract: The digitalisation of processes generates immense amount of data. Such data is known as the new gold for businesses as they provide valuable insights about customers or processes. The insights can be used to improve business activities, for example data-driven marketing campaigns with a clear focus on the customers. The hospitality sector is directly affected by the digital transformation and challenged to handle and make use of the data. However, the process from data origination to data-driven strategies demands for innovations and new knowledge. The goal of this work is to discover relevant data for data-driven marketing activities. Therefore, the data sources of a swiss mountain hotel were analysed quantitatively and documented in a metadata file. The literature review revealed important guidelines. The findings were set into the context of the customer journey to visualize the connection between the data, marketing activities and the various touchpoints with the customers.

Abstract: Graubünden Ferien is the destination management organization of the canton of Grisons. One of its aims is to promote tourism and attract visitors through the appliance of different marketing strategies. In times of declining visitor numbers and overnight stays in the region, it is of vital importance to seek new marketing possibilities, in order to stand out against the competition. This Individual Bachelor Thesis analyzes the marketing tool film tourism and its potential for Graubünden Ferien to promote tourism in Grisons. First, an insight into the theoretical background of film tourism is provided, followed by an analysis of the film tourism industry based on findings of expert interviews. Finally a discussion about the interpretation of the findings and practical recommendations on the implementation of a film tourism strategy for Graubünden Ferien are given.

Abstract: The paper consists basically of three parts. In the first part an introduction to the service industry is given including topics such as service quality and customer satisfaction, importance of corporate culture, normative behaviour of employees, etc. Part two focuses on the corporate culture of SWISS with its values quality, reliability, and hospitality, it names the difficulties in converting those values into daily lived practices and it explains the existing gap between the target and the actual situation. Finally, the last part of the paper describes the factors and measures that could be used to influence the extent to which SWISS values are lived by the employees. To each of the factors, short and pragmatic suggestions are made, what the HR management should do out of the authors view to converse the values into daily business. At the end, a controlling process is introduced, portraying the entire procedure from transferring the corporate values into service specifications to the variance analysis and the redefining of the specifications.

Abstract: The aim of this bachelor’s thesis is to calculate the economic impact of the LAAX Open 2016, a world class snowboard contest in the destination of Laax. In a first step the tangible effects, especially the added value, are calculated. This is done with the help of the LAAX Open Model, especially developed for this case. The data needed for assessing the tangible effects have mainly been collected with a visitor survey. Besides calculating the added value, the hotel occupancy during the event is outlined. The intangible effects, who also play a major role at this even, are analyzed in a second step. Interpreting the provided Media Report lead to a conclusion about the image effects and an expert interview offered the possibility to discover the network, competence and structure effects. In the end the tangible and intangible effects are interpreted. Out of the findings, some recommendations for actions are given in order to improve the LAAX Open for the next years.

Abstract: Herr und Frau Schweizer legen pro Tag durchschnittlich 37 Kilometer zurück. 44 % davon finden ausserhalb der Arbeitszeit statt, was die Freizeit zum wichtigsten Verkehrszweck der Schweizer Bevölkerung macht. Ungefähr zwei Drittel aller in der Freizeit zurückgelegten Personenkilometer werden mit dem Auto gemacht. Dies trotz des steigenden Bewusstseins der Menschheit über den Klimawandel. Diese Bachelorarbeit gibt Aufschluss darüber, inwiefern das ökologische Engagement von Bahnunternehmen einen Einfluss auf die Wahl des Transportmittels von Freizeitreisenden hat. Des Weiteren wird dargestellt, welche Personengruppen bereits aus ökologischen Gründen Zug fahren oder sich dies in Zukunft der Umwelt zuliebe vermehrt vorstellen können. Die zielgruppenorientierten Handlungsempfehlungen für den Auftraggeber, die Rhätische Bahn AG, stützen sich auf einer fundierten Literaturrecherche sowie einer quantitativen Umfrage mit Freizeitreisenden.

Abstract: Das Sportgymnasium Davos benötigt ein Marketingkonzept zur Erhaltung der bestehenden Attraktivität. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die Erarbeitung eines Marketingkonzeptes unter Berücksichtigung der aktuellen Situation und der dafür zur Verfügung stehenden Ressourcen. Durch die Umwelt- und die Unternehmensanalyse werden Möglichkeiten eines Marketingauftrittes in Print- und Webmedien aufgezeigt. Weiter benötigt das Sportgymnasium Davos eine Neuausrichtung in der Generation von finanziellen Mitteln. Die Arbeit zeigt aufgrund der Analysen neue Möglichkeiten dafür auf. Als dritter und letzter Teil wird die Ehemaligenvereinigung des Sportgymnasium Davos analysiert und Vorschläge zur Neuorganisation unterbreitet. Anhand dieser Analysen und Resultate entsteht eine gesamtheitliche Wahrnehmungsanalyse für das Sportgymnasium Davos.

Abstract: St. Moritz will be the host of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in 2017. Mayor sports events include a big variety of touristic effects on a destination. This IBT focuses on the image as well as on the awareness level of the destination of St. Moritz and how it could be modified and increased. According to different studies, St. Moritz nowadays is mainly associated with luxury, jet set and a rather expensive price level. However, the destination wants to position itself as the number one winter sports destination in Switzerland with snow competency and as a host of mayor skiing events. This Bachelor Thesis is aimed at giving recommendations on how the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2017 can contribute to an increase of the awareness level as well as to a sustainable and targeted image of St. Moritz. As a result, this Individual Bachelor Thesis will provide a measure catalogue, which will be applicable in practice for the organisational committee of the event as well as for the Tourism Organisation Engadin St. Moritz.

Abstract: The approval of the popular initiative «Stop the excessive construction of secondary homes» led to uncertainties and ambiguous interpretations of the initiative text. The first controversial issue is the term «secondary home». This bachelor thesis explains the term by reference to legal documents and business models. Further the different models of secondary homes will be examined for legality on the basis of existing jurisdiction and the official documents released during the implementation process of the initiative. Besides legality the economic feasibility is inevitable for the future realisation of secondary home projects. Therefore different economic factors of such a project are being assayed. Examples of such factors are different stakeholders like developers, investors, operators and buyers. Eventually the bachelor thesis lists possibilities and considerations for future secondary home projects in alpine tourism destinations.

Abstract: Trail Running bedeutet das Laufen abseits befestigter Wege und ist eine Sportart, die sich in den letzten Jahren zunehmender Beliebtheit erfreute. Während jedoch für andere Sportarten, wie zum Beispiel Mountainbiking, zahlreiche Webportale existieren, die geeignete Routen im Kanton Graubünden auflisten, stehen für Trail Runner nur wenige Angebote zur Verfügung. Aus diesem Grund wird im Rahmen dieser Bachelorarbeit und im Auftrag von trailrunning.expert ein Konzept für eine solche Website erarbeitet. Neben der Theorie werden die besonderen Erwartungen von Anhängern des Sports an ein solches Portal untersucht. Diese werden durch Experteninterviews ermittelt. Des Weiteren befasst sich die Arbeit mit der Frage, welche Bedeutung Trail Running für den Tourismus in Graubünden hat.

Abstract: Employers are finding themselves in a changing labour market. Facing generational differences, Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. is confronted with difficulties retaining especially young Cabin Crew Members out of the Generation Y (born 1980 or later). Aim of the thesis is to investigate the reasons for the high fluctuation rates and draw according recommendations. On that account the interaction of the Generation Y’s characteristics related to job specific features, human resources-factors as recruiting, corporate culture and employer branding as well as managerial implications are initially examined in a first theoretical approach. The empirical research is conducted with on the one hand Cabin Crew Members out of this cohort themselves as well as their superiors and on the other hand with external experts. After comparison of theoretical and practical findings, improvement possibilities are deduced.

Abstract: In Berne Brünnen a new part of the city will be developed. The main part of the new development area, is the leisure and shopping centre Westside. This complex includes the Hotel Holiday Inn Westside which will be opened on the 8th October 2008. The paper aims to find out which marketing activities the Holiday Inn chain, from the operating company Turicum Hotel Management AG, should participate in. Therefore the first part of the diploma thesis presents a market analysis of Berne. The second section outlines the planned strategies of Bern Tourism and Swiss Tourism. The first two parts give the base to decide which marketing activities it is useful to participate in. The last part shows the contribution the Holiday Inn Westside will make towards the development of Berne.

Abstract: Bucharest is still unknown in Switzerland as a city break destination and no strategy how to market it is existent yet. The aim of this thesis is to examine if Bucharest has the potential to become a city break destination for the Swiss market and to explore a possible strategy how to market it. The basis of the thesis is given by a literature review, which discusses the preconditions of a tourism project. By means of the literature review the potentials and obstacles of Bucharest are explored. In purpose to examine those, expert interviews with people who work locally in the tourism industry in Bucharest were conducted. As a next step a product analysis of the city was made. In reference to the it a target group was established. For the defined target group a tourism package including pricing and promotion was developed. In a last step obstacles in Switzerland and measures to overcome them are discussed. For this expert interviews with travel agencies specialised in Eastern Europe in Switzerland were conducted.

Abstract: Climate change is no longer a deception. Many economic sectors have already encountered its impact. Alternatively, unlike other sectors, tourism industry is among the most climatesensitive economic sector. This is due to its close relationship to climate, as it determines tourists holiday times and destinations, the length of peak seasons; also, most of the tourism activities are weather dependent. Therefore, due to its sensitivity and vulnerability to climate change that will cause direct and indirect impacts, it is imperative for the tourism industry to respond and adapt. Since, the Alpine and Mediterranean regional economies depends on tourism, Winter and Coastal, which are extremely vulnerable to climate change, the focal point of this study was on the adaptation strategies of these systems. Firstly, to get the potential and implemented adaptation strategies relevant literature was reviewed. Through the expert interviews, further information, which was not available on the literature, could be revealed. Also, a SWOT analysis of the adaptation strategies was completed, finalising with a comparison of the strategic directions of both systems’ strategies, and a gap analysis of the implementation status and the adaptive capacity.

Abstract: Cabin crew and pilots are subject to unique working conditions including irregular hours of work and changes in time zones. Furthermore, the working environment is highly confined which leads to increased levels of stress on the job. Nevertheless, the quality of customer service must be ensured. After a long-haul flight crews spend the layover at an accommodation chosen by the airline. The quality of the layover is highly dependent on the quality of accommodation. This thesis aims to highlight the importance of crew accommodation while exploring how the airlines select hotels in a highly competitive market. In the theoretical part, the Service-Profit Chain provides the fundamentals for the thesis. Information is then gathered for the, practical part, through expert interviews with pilot and cabin crew unions, airlines and hotels. As a result, the thesis aims to detect whether there is a need for alternative accommodation models and which lodging solutions these models could entail.

Abstract: Sport Sponsoring is evolving to a better tool for marketers. In the canton of Grisons there are but a few sport properties that make use of sport sponsoring with a strategic approach. The Calanda Broncos the American football club from Chur/Landquart have had difficulties to create long term partnerships. In the season of 2012 they had no main sponsor. However, with their recent sportive success, becoming the best European football team, having more international games and being followed by media from all over the continent, new opportunities opened for the club. Nonetheless, to grasp those opportunities the club needs to improve its sponsoring offer. This thesis aims to guide the American football club to sponsoring success. In most marketing and sports management literature sponsoring is often explained as separate parts of a cars engine, there are only but a few researchers that explain how the engine works together. This Bachelor thesis sets out a step by step guide leading through different phases and merging the tasks to one process. It results in providing the sports club with a practical guide and makes recommendations for the future approach and strategy to the clubs sponsoring.

Abstract: A clear and sustainable strategic positioning is crucial for hotel businesses of all kinds. When looking at the market of Swiss luxury city hotels in particular, this importance even increases as many external influences force Swiss deluxe hotels to take measures in order to stand out from competition. The market is dynamic and facing constant changes. It is therefore inevitable to analyze developments and trends and to take them into account, when a newly positioning of luxury hotels in the market is planned. For this thesis, this issue is researched in collaboration with the Widder Hotel in Zurich. The Widder Hotel is a small, exceptional and utterly luxurious five star superior hotel in the heart of Zurich that convinces with its unique character and its contemporary product. The final outcome of the thesis represents the new strategic positioning recommended to the Widder Hotel, including the measures to be taken in order to implement it successfully.

Abstract: Major sports events as well as other relevant cultural events taking place in Switzerland are part of a fast-changing and highly competitive market. In order to elevate the customer experience at a major sports event, the event organization is nowadays in need of a differentiated customer journey concept. It is essential to identify and prioritize the different touchpoints between the customer and the event itself. The purpose of this study is to investigate which are the decisive touchpoints during the customer journey at Weltklasse Zürich and what impact they are having on the customer experience and the subsequent communication efforts. Therefore, findings from the literature, an online survey with selected visitors of last year’s meeting as well as expert interviews will evaluate the impact of the decisive touchpoints on the customer experience and the subsequent communication efforts. Furthermore, recommendations for Weltklasse Zürich are deduced from the findings of this study.

Abstract: In 25 years time, 32% of the whole Swiss population will be above 65 years old. This is a rise of 50%. However, demographic changes are greatly affecting the tourism and hospitality industry and force an adaptation of the tourism infrastructure. In order to remain successful, the 4-star hotel Cucagna in Disentis must reconstruct its infrastructure as well as its product offerings. My diploma thesis is made up of four main parts. The first chapter introduces the demographic changes of the Swiss population. Moreover, I analysed the values, needs, lifestyles as well as the purchasing and buying behaviours of the senior customers. In a second step I defined the actual situation of the hotel Cucagna and its all-inclusive offerings. According to my focus group interviews and a SWOT analysis, I created potential product and service improvements. In the third chapter, I focused on the senior marketing which is a new and quite unexplored field. Furthermore, I outlined the possibilities for the hotel Cucagna to reach the senior segment. Finally, in the last chapter, I evaluated the different communication channels and defined the best and most effective ones. To conclude, I draw some conclusions and findings for the hotel Cucagna.

Abstract: St. Moritz was once a prime destination for the European upper class, long before winter tourism became so famous. People came to St. Moritz because of its healing waters and climate in order to cure diseases such as rheumatism. Today, unlike winter tourism, health tourism does not play a major role in the destination any more. Since the Upper Engadine however is strongly dependent on seasonality, health tourism could offer new opportunities. The project ‘‘Serletta Süd’’ of the Klinik Gut in St. Moritz, which includes a new clinic and a health hotel, could be a first step for the reimplementation of health tourism. Through expert interviews, the potential and added value of this rising industry will be evaluated. This thesis analyzes the impact of the project on the regions' image and creates a better understanding of health tourism in the Upper Engadine. Finally, this thesis will help the Klinik Gut to understand how the project can positively affect the destinations' tourism industry.

Abstract: Zürichsee Schifffahrt & Gastro (ZSG) provides Dream cruises on Lake Zurich all year round. Dream cruises are special themed cruises that provide guests with varying entertainment opportunities as well as food and beverages. In previous years, the number of passengers for dream cruises have however been decreasing, despite tourism growing in the City of Zurich. The Bachelor Thesis aims at evaluating the individual Dream cruises that operate in the summer, and gives recommendations on ways to improve the concept in order to increase guest satisfaction and passenger numbers. The general approach taken is consumer behaviour based, where guest expectations, needs and wants are in focus. The discussion of the paper focuses on how to improve the experience of guests, as well as how to attract new guests, and thereby increase visitor numbers. The Dream Cruises were analysed through in-situ passenger interviews, observations, as well as interviews with the management of Zürichsee gastronomy.

Abstract: China’s economic expansion and its impact on the world is a widely discussed topic nowadays. Ever since the reform period, China’s influence on the world economy and on international affairs has increased rapidly. The number of Chinese tourists travelling abroad has increased tremendously in the last decade and is anticipated to expand further with unbelievable speed. This Bachelor thesis comprises an introduction, a literature review outlining theoretical aspects and cultural backgrounds and an empirical section. Finally, there is a conclusion with recommendations. The first objective of the thesis is to investigate the opportunities and threats of the Chinese economic expansion from the Swiss perspective. For this reason, qualitative interviews were carried out with Swiss and Chinese experts in order to compare the opinions of experts from different cultural backgrounds. Furthermore, the thesis examines to what extent the Swiss tourism and leisure industry needs to adapt to the upcoming situation. Three quantitative online-surveys with important touristic service providers in Switzerland, namely cable cars, tourist offices and hotels, were conducted in order to answer this issue.

Abstract: Saanen, the historical as well as political centre of the Saanenland is taking several actions until 2015 with the aim to reposition itself. The construction of the tunnel could already be realised in 2010 in order to keep the traffic away from the village centre. Until 2015, several public and private building projects are planned as well as the reconstruction of the centre with the renovation of houses, streets etc. Having in mind that the village of Saanen is protected by the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, the aim of this study is to give the destination Gstaad Saanenland Tourism inputs of how it could reposition the historical village of Saanen also in a touristic way with some authentic products that stand in correlation to the already existing attractions of the village as well as with the local history and cultural habits. The overall aim of the repositioning and therefore also of the new products is to raise the awareness of Saanen among already loyal customers of the region as well as to attract potentially new customer segments towards the region, with Saanen as a product and village that is different to the already well-known ones of the region.

Abstract: There is no doubt that the world’s population is ageing. The future lies in the hand of the olds and the success of the companies will be determined by the ability to make a chance out of this development. Also Sunstar Hotels are fully aware of this reality. The 50+ customers represent their prevalent share of clientele during the summer season. The thesis’ final output is the formulation of the communication objectives and communication actions for the target group 50+ and is built upon the following milestones: • The identification of the needs of the 50+ and of how to best align the communication with them • To establish the requirements concerning choose of language, words and pictures for an effective communication with the target group 50+ • The analysis of the current situation of Sunstar Hotels with a record of their present communication strategy and the applied communication channels

Abstract: Before heading to a destination, travellers start looking for information. There are different ways to collect data about vacation such as travel agencies or catalogues. But nowadays most used travel information channel is of course the internet. This bachelor thesis outlines first of all the literature dealing with the information search patterns and the booking process of travellers. Furthermore, an online questionnaire with 827 answers of former customers as well as non-customers shows the trends and preferences among the three main target groups of the online travel agency travelwindow AG – Silver Surfers, Families and DINKs. A comparison of both, the literature review and the online questionnaire, gives different ideas and suggestions. With an analysis of the current website and its content, this ideas lead to concrete suggestions for the travelwindow AG in order to improve the customers’ process from the information collection to the booking on the OTA’s website.

Abstract: Since the service driven markets are growing and the amount of providers with them, it is of utmost importance to deliver the service perfectly to the customers. Hotelplan as a service company therefore needs to make a positive first impression in order to deliver and prove the service quality and to finally build a loyal customer base. This Bachelor thesis aims to find out how the customers of Hotelplan actually perceive the welcoming process and how they would like to be welcomed. The thesis contains three main sections. First, the theoretical part reveals literature concerning consumer behaviour in the service industry. Secondly, in the empirical part of the study, qualitative and quantitative data has been conducted in order to evaluate the perception of the welcoming process and the desired level of the service quality. Finally, the findings of the theory are combined with the practical results in order to give recommendations on how the company can adapt the welcoming process to the customer’s desires while leaving a positive and sustainable first impression.

Abstract: Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit einem Kommunikationskonzept für den Verein Jakobsweg Graubünden. Dieser besteht seit zehn Jahren und hat die Erschliessung des Jakobswegs durch Graubünden sowie die Vermittlung seiner historisch-kulturellen und aktuellen Bedeutung zum Ziel. Um den Zweck des Vereins so gut wie möglich zu erfüllen, ist eine hohe Nutzung und Besucherzahl dieses Pilgerwegs von grosser Bedeutung. Die Arbeit geht auf die Frage ein, mit welchen Kommunikationsmassnahmen der Verein trotz geringem Budget die Bekanntheit des Jakobswegs Graubünden steigern kann. Sie stützt sich dazu unter anderem auf verschiedene Experteninterviews und Analysen. Der Fokus des Konzepts liegt auf der Zielgruppenbestimmung, der Positionierung, den Botschaften und auf einer kreativen Leitidee, welche die Kommunikation der Organisation durchgehend unterstreichen sollen. Daraus werden verschiedene zielorientierte Massnahmen zur praktischen Umsetzung abgeleitet.

Abstract: This individual Bachelor Thesis concentrates about marketing in connection with the event location “Wind Tunnel” of Sauber Motorsport AG. Since the event venue is new and marketing has never been done before, the aim of this Bachelor Thesis is to develop a concept to promote the event location successfully. A good marketing concept is of high priority for every business to attract the targeted audience and sustain successful on the market. Especially, in a saturated market such as the event industry, where many providers offer relatively similar venues, it is important to differentiate itself from competitors. As a result, in this Bachelor Thesis recommendations how marketing should be communicated via diverse tools are given. The current market situation is analyzed and customer needs and expectations regarding an event venue are conducted with an online survey. Further, inputs of the expert interviews are implemented in the recommended marketing concept.

Abstract: In Switzerland the mountain railway industry has been facing a loss of customers since the 90s. The tendency indicates a further decline in the future. On the other hand, cable car companies invest heavily into new infrastructure to provide capacity and compete on the market. There are three possibilities to stay profitable: decrease costs, increase sales volume or increase price. This Bachelor thesis focuses on the latter, the price as a power tool. A change in price has the highest impact on earnings. Yield management is a pricing approach that aims at squeezing as much money out of the customer as possible. At present various research has been conducted about yield management in both the airline and hotel industry. First indication of revenue management in the mountain railway industry can be observed, but little research is available yet. The main objective of this work is to devise an application model of yield management to this field of business in general, and the Lenzerheide Bergbahnen AG in specific. The propositions are based on findings from other industry sectors, expert interviews and competitor`s activities.

Abstract: Jeden Sommer findet in der Schweiz eine Vielzahl von Musik Festivals statt. Dementsprechend ist es umso wichtiger effektiv und effizient zu arbeiten, um seine Position in diesem stark gesättigten Markt zu halten oder sogar auszubauen. Ziel dieser Bachelor Thesis ist es, die interne Kommunikation vor, während und nach den Stars of Sounds Festivals zu analysieren und zu evaluieren. Im Anschluss sollen konkrete Massnahmen und Handlungsempfehlungen abgegeben werden. Wichtige Aspekte der Projektorganisation, der Kommunikation und des Zeitmanagements wurden in einer vertieften Literaturrecherche untersucht. Durch die Befragung unterschiedlicher Anspruchsgruppen wurden Erkenntnisse gewonnen, wie die Kommunikation momentan aufgebaut ist und wo man ansetzen kann, um sie gezielt zu verbessern. So ist es auch das Ziel, eine Effizienzsteigerung und eine Optimierung des Zeitmanagements zu erlangen. Nach Betrachtung und Vergleich der Erkenntnisse wurden die besten Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten ausgearbeitet und dem Stars of Sounds empfohlen.

Abstract: When talking about sex tourism, many people and experts think only of prostitution, which involves sex as the biggest motivator when traveling. Of course sex tourism comprises of prostitution, but it is not all that. Sex tourism and prostitution are subsets of each other, but they are indeed two very diverse themes. Sex tourism includes activities ranging from slavery and prostitution to honeymoons and romantic getaways. Many other activities like gay and lesbian travel, transnational marriages, concubines and virtual sex are also being increasingly linked to sex tourism. This is what makes sex tourism a lot more intricate and convoluted than just travel for sex. Tourism, as the subject suggests, plays an important role in facilitating the sex tourism industry. It not only provides the physical venue, but also the setting, the mood and the context. Even the marketing promotions adopted by various tourism participants, have long used sexual suggestiveness. It can be argued that sex tourism is beneficial, but one cannot neglect the various negative externalities, such as diseases and child prostitution, related to the subject either. Even though sex tourism has its cons, it can be capitalized on in a sustainable way to benefit the sex workers, the society and the destinations. Sex is a need and sex tourism is here to stay and therefore, it is essential to identify pragmatic solutions to coexist with sex tourism – as it seems to be the only way.