Head of the week: "Lucerne can be marketed like a fairy tale".
Mario Lütolf: Swisscom's joker boss moves to Lucerne to succeed Kurt H. Illi
Mario Lütolf: Swisscom's joker boss moves to Lucerne to succeed Kurt H. IlliHead of the week
"Lucerne can be marketed like a fairy tale".
Lucerne's Mario Lütolf never used the adjective "rude" in the interview. Nevertheless, his enthusiasm for Lucerne comes across as convincing. "The city is ranked sixth among the most popular destinations in the world, alongside San Francisco, Paris, London, Venice and Rome," he says, citing a recent survey by the American Traveller Magazine.
It's clear that the newly elected transport director sees it as a challenge to market such a tourist dream destination in the future. "With its lake, mountains, culture and old town, Lucerne is almost like a fairy tale to market."
Lucerne's tourism industry turns over 600 to 800 million Swiss francs a year. "We offer a very well-rounded destination," says Lütolf. In addition to winter or summer tourism, Lucerne has an excellent name in incentive, cultural and group travel, as well as for seminars and business trips.
"Kurt H. Illi leaves behind a life's work that I do not want to endanger, but rather to stabilize and complement," says Lütolf, describing his goals. As of September 2000, he will be the new captain on the most dazzling "steamship" in Central Switzerland.
Traffic school in Olten, five years at Swissair, twelve years at Imholz and, since summer 1998, in charge of the Joker project at Swisscom are the most important moorings where the marketing man, who is only 39 years old, has so far put his ideas into practice. At Imholz, Lütolf started as a buyer and, in the course of changing structures, was involved with
the partners TUI and Vögele, finally, with the support of the resale agencies in Switzerland.
Lütolf built up the Internet presence at Imholz and gave direct marketing a face. These contacts with customer loyalty programs such as Bonviva from Credit Suisse or the customer card from Jelmoli culminated in the Joker project from Swisscom, after Lütolf had also completed the marketing planner, the direct marketing assistant at Sawi and the preparatory course to become a tourism expert on the side. At Swisscom, he left behind with the Joker "a successful and promising bonus program" with currently 625,000 participants.
Unlike previous job changes, Lütolf cannot take another full sabbatical as a tour guide in Greece and then travel around the world with his wife and two children. He has to use the time to find a new home in and around Lucerne. And finally: What's the point of a big trip around the world, when the whole world already knows that Lucerne is one of the most beautiful destinations on our planet anyway? Andreas Panzeri
"Lucerne can be marketed like a fairy tale".
Lucerne's Mario Lütolf never used the adjective "rude" in the interview. Nevertheless, his enthusiasm for Lucerne comes across as convincing. "The city is ranked sixth among the most popular destinations in the world, alongside San Francisco, Paris, London, Venice and Rome," he says, citing a recent survey by the American Traveller Magazine.
It's clear that the newly elected transport director sees it as a challenge to market such a tourist dream destination in the future. "With its lake, mountains, culture and old town, Lucerne is almost like a fairy tale to market."
Lucerne's tourism industry turns over 600 to 800 million Swiss francs a year. "We offer a very well-rounded destination," says Lütolf. In addition to winter or summer tourism, Lucerne has an excellent name in incentive, cultural and group travel, as well as for seminars and business trips.
"Kurt H. Illi leaves behind a life's work that I do not want to endanger, but rather to stabilize and complement," says Lütolf, describing his goals. As of September 2000, he will be the new captain on the most dazzling "steamship" in Central Switzerland.
Traffic school in Olten, five years at Swissair, twelve years at Imholz and, since summer 1998, in charge of the Joker project at Swisscom are the most important moorings where the marketing man, who is only 39 years old, has so far put his ideas into practice. At Imholz, Lütolf started as a buyer and, in the course of changing structures, was involved with
the partners TUI and Vögele, finally, with the support of the resale agencies in Switzerland.
Lütolf built up the Internet presence at Imholz and gave direct marketing a face. These contacts with customer loyalty programs such as Bonviva from Credit Suisse or the customer card from Jelmoli culminated in the Joker project from Swisscom, after Lütolf had also completed the marketing planner, the direct marketing assistant at Sawi and the preparatory course to become a tourism expert on the side. At Swisscom, he left behind with the Joker "a successful and promising bonus program" with currently 625,000 participants.
Unlike previous job changes, Lütolf cannot take another full sabbatical as a tour guide in Greece and then travel around the world with his wife and two children. He has to use the time to find a new home in and around Lucerne. And finally: What's the point of a big trip around the world, when the whole world already knows that Lucerne is one of the most beautiful destinations on our planet anyway? Andreas Panzeri
