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| | Palexpo, a major asset for the hotel trade |
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 | Where would the Geneva hotel trade be without Palexpo? Of course it would exist, as its luxury establishments by the Lake have been among the jewels of our country’s hotel industry for decades.
However, in terms of tourism, a destination has to be diversified to attract visitors all year round. The business generated by leisure and business tourism and international organizations is not enough. That is why the existence of an Exhibition and Conference centre is very important to our sector.
The Geneva Hotel Association, which represents 87% of all the hotels in Geneva, is fortunate to have the formidable facility of Palexpo “at hand” and to be able to benefit from all the economic spin-offs it generates. One of Geneva’s greatest assets is how close Palexpo is to the airport and the hotels. The vast majority of our hotels are located less than 20 minutes from its main entrance.
Synergy between the Geneva Hotel Association and Palexpo takes many different forms. We work hand-in-hand so that we can continue to host each year high-end events such as the Motor Show, the SIHH or, only last month, EBACE. We also work in close partnership with the highly efficient conference office of Genève Tourisme & Congrès, whose reputation is well established Europe-wide. The future re-organization of the governance of that entity will merely optimize its efficiency so that our destination is selected to host large-scale conferences in our canton.
The enlargement work on Hall 6 is being done at just the right time to be able to offer even more exhibition surface area. This can only strengthen our position - in a difficult economic environment where expectations are becoming ever greater. That is why fluid communication between all the players in tourism is essential and will only confirm our image of a strong and united local economy. We know Geneva has a reputation as a high-quality destination and it is by continuing to expand that we will stay in the race. The Geneva hotel trade - which has invested nearly one billion francs in renovation works over the past decade - has also got the message.
The Geneva hoteliers will continue to maintain an excellent relationship with Palexpo and it is likely to stay that way. Perhaps the relationship is made easier by the fact that the General Manager is one of our people.... Claude Membrez’s first profession was in the hotel business!
Marc-Antoine Nissille
President of the Geneva Hotel Association
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