TORONTO — Pascal Prinz has taken up his position as the new director for Switzerland Tourism in Canada with a celebratory industry reception in Toronto at the Victorinox Swiss Army shop. At the event Prinz showcased his love for Canada and offered his take on the top five ‘ingredients’ for an amazing trip to Switzerland.
In a reference to Canada’s hockey culture, Prinz declared: “I promise you one thing, I am going to give Canada my best shot! Canada has a special place in my heart, it’s the first country I visited outside of Europe. It is also the first country where I learned to speak English, in Vancouver over 20 years ago. And I love visiting the areas of Quebec and Montreal, very charming, so you can feel I am already a bit Canadian.”
Prinz took the reins in his new role on Nov. 1 and is now responsible for the marketing and promotion of Switzerland as a travel, vacation and convention destination in Canada. He succeeds Evelyn Lafone, who after three successful years in her position, was appointed District Manager Southern Germany, based in Stuttgart.
For the last four years, Prinz worked for Switzerland Tourism in New York as Trade Manager East Coast. He also led the agent relations for North America including the development of the Switzerland Travel Academy, the new e-learning program of Switzerland Tourism, and the North American sales manual ‘Switzerland Yodel’.
Prinz is a marketing specialist with international experience in travel and public affairs. Before joining Switzerland Tourism, he worked for the Swiss Ministry of Economic Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He holds a Dual Master’s Degree of Arts in International Affairs and Governance, University of St. Gallen, and also a Certificate in International Business Management, Georgetown University, Washington DC.
Prinz’s love for Switzerland was evident as he spoke of growing up in the Alps. A self-proclaimed “mountain guy”, he takes pride in talking about his homeland. According to Prinz, the top five reasons, or ‘ingredients’, for an amazing Switzerland visit are:
- The lovely boutique towns
- Enjoying the beautiful Swiss Alps
- Taking a lake cruise
- Boarding a scenic train ride
- Combining two language regions
Canadians clearly agree that Switzerland is a great place to visit, with Canadian arrivals up 12% year to date, with a 9% increase in overnights. Quebec represents 35% of arrivals, overrepresented in comparison to population size, and the Ontario market constitutes 39% of Canadian arrivals.
For more information visit myswitzerland.com.
