Switzerland Tourism appoints new market manager for Canada

Pascal Prinz, the new market manager for ST in Canada, is an experienced tourism marketing specialist with a long international career. The 36-year-old has been responsible for trade relations for the US East Coast at ST New York for four years. Prior to that, he was Trade Relations Manager at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) in Bern, where he represented Swiss trade interests in Europe. Further stages of his international professional career include various positions at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), including Head of Economic Relations at the Swiss representation in Berlin and Marketing and PR Management USA at the Swiss Embassy in Washington.

Canada: a growth market

Canadian tourists account for around 10 percent of hotel overnight stays from the North American market. According to the press release, the Canadian market, with its strong affinity for Europe, has seen regular growth in recent years. Between 2005 and 2016, overnight stays in Canada increased by 27.5 percent. "This market should continue to develop positively in the coming years. We are delighted to have found a market manager in Pascal Prinz who knows the needs of Canadian guests and the expectations of our Swiss partners extremely well. Prinz already has an excellent network of contacts in the travel industry and the Canadian economy," explains Urs Eberhard, Deputy Director at ST.

Pascal Prinz holds a double master's degree in International Relations and Governance from the University of St. Gallen and the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) as well as a certificate in International Business Management from Georgetown University in Washington (USA). He will take up his new role as Market Manager Canada in Toronto on November 1, 2017.

His predecessor, Evelyn Lafone, has been District Manager Southern Germany at ST in Stuttgart since September 18, 2017.