Author: Ben Debski

Bern

Posted on by Ben Debski

While Bern enjoys its reputation as the political heartland of Switzerland, the privileged title has been known to detract from the de facto capital’s newfound entrepreneurial streak and its abundance of growing opportunities for both resident and visiting businesses. Aside from the credentials that accompany its political significance, Bern is home to a collection of renowned industry leaders and the University of Bern, which itself plays host to eight faculties, eight graduate schools and close to 160 individual institutes. However, far from being a paradise for business leaders alone, the city has many sites of cultural and historical significance for all visitors to enjoy.

Bern has preserved its history while at
the same time satisfying a burgeoning and
ever-evolving corporate segment

Historic charm
Arguably no other major city in the world has retained its historic charm to quite the same degree as Bern. The city has preserved this allure while at the same time satisfying a burgeoning and ever-evolving corporate segment, with its unique cultural sites and distinctive conference facilities offering an increasing appeal that is seeing the city fast emerging as a major European hub for travelling corporate clients.

Established in 1191, Bern’s historic Old Town – arguably the city’s most recognisable landmark – is one of Switzerland’s most treasured UNESCO World Heritage sites, alongside the Three Castles of Bellinzona, Monte San Giorgio and the Rhaetian Railway. The Old Town is bordered by the Aare River and offers spectacular views of the Alps. Another of Bern’s famous landmarks is its Zytglogge – its historical astronomical clock tower, which has had a key role in Bern daily life since 1530. Elsewhere, the House of Parliament and cathedral offer visitors a glimpse in the city’s cultural and political significance.

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Lesser-known sites include Einstein House, where the famous physicist lived with his wife and son from 1903-1905; well over 100 beautiful fountains, 11 of which retain their original stonework tableaus; the botanic garden; and the city’s BearPark.

What makes the city truly unique, however, is its ability to combine the old with the new. While the historical and modern sides of the city appear to be worlds apart, Bern’s public transport system – which is free to use for anyone staying in the city – and the short distances between its countless meeting venues, hotels and restaurants bring the Old and New Towns together seamlessly. What’s more, with such a wealth of culture, leisure and business credentials to its name, Bern stands far apart from most other European cities as an attractive business destination.

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Bern event venues
For those looking to host a meeting or conference, the venues in Bern are many and varied in both style and scope. Ranging from the extravagant to the intimate, each unique location boasts a number of attractive features.

Kursaal Bern was recently renovated, with the completion of extensive construction works in 2013 placing the centre firmly as the city’s most up-to-date venue. Elsewhere, the Stade de Suisse boasts an impressive range of facilities, while the BERNEXPO centre is a more conventional choice for large expositions. The Zentrum Paul Klee, Kornhauskeller and Bierhübeli venues are ideal for those looking for somewhere slightly more unusual.

Hosts seeking to steer clear of more formal meetings by arranging corporate teambuilding exercises should look no further than Bern’s array of exciting activities, such as the scooter city tour, river rafting and traditional Swiss farm games. Furthermore, Bern’s central location makes it an ideal hub for those looking to explore the rest of Switzerland during their stay – whether for an excursion to Lake Geneva, or a trip to the Emmental Valley.

Bern has long enjoyed its distinction as Switzerland’s political capital, which has earned it a reputation as the continent’s constitutional heartland. The emergence of new conference venues and an influx of leading names, however, serves to illustrate just how rapidly the city is gaining momentum on the business travel circuit.

How travel will change in 2015

Posted on by Ben Debski

High-tech hotels and robot butlers

As technology becomes evermore impressive, hotels will have to step up their game in 2015 if they are to maintain the long-held tradition of creating a space superior to the home.

That’s a challenge the industry seems more than willing to overcome; Aloft Hotel in California recently introduced robot butlers (named “Botlers”) to greet guests and provide a helping (presumably metal) hand throughout their stay. Sadly it still requires pre-loading by actual humans, which makes it (like most novelty technologies) a little redundant, but that might not stop it making its way to other hotels in 2015; major hotel group Starwood (the company behind Aloft) could botler up nearly 100 of its hotels over the year, Senior Vice President of the company Brian McGuinness told TechCrunch earlier in 2014.

Embracing innovation is a trend being seen across the entire travel sector according to Euromonitor International analyst Angelo Rossini. “Technology is the strongest disruptive force in the travel industry today,” she told CNN.

Among the advancements is smart tech, which, if it creeps into hotels (likely given recent developments and its increased affordability) would enable guests to operate everything from the lights to the door locks at the touch of a (tablet or smartphone) button, or even the utter of a word (using Samsung’s S Voice command or Apple’s Siri).

Beyond 2015 experts predict fully automated hotels complete with electronic massage pillows, at least according to Skyscanner’s Future of Travel report. For those whose idea of a perfect holiday involves lying on an electrode-infested bed and literally not budging an inch for a fortnight though, it’s probably rather ideal.

Wearable tech

Users could soon be operating said smart devices from their watch; wearable tech is one of the key trends predicted to change travel in 2015 according to a report by World Travel Market. Starwood – whose hotels include W and Sheraton among others – has already created an app which will enable guests to unlock rooms from their Apple Watch (when it’s launched). Smartwatches, Google Glass and other wearable tech gadgets mean travellers will be able to get information on the go more easily than ever – and that’s likely to fuel a further growth in mobile check-in.

From underwater to designer

If robots don’t take over the hospitality industry in 2015 and beyond, underwater hotels might; cropping up over recent years with the likes of the Atlantis in Dubai, they’re considered by some as a sign of things to come. Ambitious plans for the Water Discus Hotel, also in Dubai, are still yet to materialise though, and it’s not the only one to have fallen through over recent times. Only time will tell whether we do all end up holidaying 10 feet below the surface of the ocean.

It’s not just underwater hotels creating buzz – rumours of designer hotels have similarly floated around rather vaguely over recent years. A Gucci hotel was scheduled for Dubai a few years ago and set to be the first of 40, according to managing director Lorenz Ziller in an interview with the Daily Mail. That fell through, but Giorgio Armani managed to make the design hospitality dream happen, launching his hotel in Dubai in 2010 and another one in Milan shortly after. Designer hotels could certainly hold appeal in a market which seems to be calling out more and more for the ultimate in indulgent holidays, and if Armani’s anything to go by, it could mark the start of a rising trend.

“Poshtels”

Even hostels are getting more stylish – the World Travel Market report predicts that 2015 will mark the era of the “poshtel”, with luxury-meets-budget abodes that cater for everyone from backpacker to business traveller. Key names to look out for include Clink, Safestay and Generator Hostels – whose design-led interiors include art installations (in the Berlin branch) and ornate, 16th-century architecture (in the Venice one).

Cuisine

The trend for chic is spreading to the culinary domain, as a market hungry for Michelin stars, guinea fowl and raspberry jus (or something) heats up in a post-recession boom. For 2015, food consultancy Baum + Whiteman predict a trend of mixing up basic flavours to create unique tastes and doing away with the notion of “authenticity” – trends which might well seep into hotel cuisine.

Peer-to-peer everything

Along the lines of food, peer-to-peer dining sites – which put travellers in touch with locals willing to cook them a smack-up meal – are also on the rise following the success of accommodation sharing platforms such as airbnb. The sharing economy is making it easier than ever to meet people in the area and experience local culture. Peer-to-peer experience platforms are even cropping up with the likes of vayable.com, while sites such as dogvacay.com offer dog-owners a comfortable private holiday home for their canine friends.

That aspect of sharing ideas and recommendations is driving an increase in independent holiday booking according to James Kay, a TripAdvisor spokesperson. “We are seeing more and more people move away from the model of getting a package holiday,” he told CNN.

Eco-tourism

As green issues weigh on the shoulders of global governments and individuals become evermore conscious of the carbon footprint their travel steps leave, ecotourism is likely to become increasingly popular.

Nicaragua is one of a number of eco-tourism hubs – with its expansive green spaces and eco-friendly abodes – and it’s set to be one of 2015’s biggest destinations, featuring on a host of future must-see lists including those by Lonely Planet and World of Wanderlust. Rising demand for a destination known for its environmental consciousness seems a promising indicator of things to come.

Efforts to attract eco-friendly tourists are being seen in other parts of the world too; the Chhatisgarh Tourism Board in India recently received Rs 113.5 crore ($18m) from the Union Ministry of tourism, to help establish the state as the country’s biggest hub for eco-tourism. West Bengal is meanwhile setting up an Eco-Tourism Board in a bid to draw in visitors to the area, according to PTI.

Adventure travel

Sky-diving, bungee-jumping, cliff-bombing and whatever else-ing are no longer solely the province of adrenalin junkies with death wishes; they’re slowly seeping into the mainstream market. According to a 2013 report by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), the adventure travel market grew at a rate of 65 percent between 2009 and 2013 to reach an estimated worth of $263bn (excluding air travel). “Adventure tourism’s steep climb is attributed to growth in the global tourism industry, a significant increase in the percentage of adventure travelers, and an increase in the average amount spent per adventure travel trip,” ATTA president Shannon Stowell said in the report. As the economy recovers, that trend is likely to accelerate in 2015.

And experiential travel is being opened up to a more family-oriented market according to Lissa Poirot, editor of Family Vacation Critic. “Resorts and outfitters are creating even more opportunities for families looking for immersive travel options,” she said. From ‘Destination Family Escapes’, recently launched by Destination Hotel & Resorts, to the new ‘Teen Adventures’ tours operated by G Adventures, companies traditionally targeted at backpacker adventurers are creating family-driven spin-offs, offering the wannabe Indiana Jones’s of the world a chance to realise their dreams in 2015, all with kids in tow.