Company
Profile
Company
Profile
Swiss Travel is the Costa Rican leading company in receptive tourism operations and the design of touristic packages and itineraries, offering a complete destination management, with customized product for individual travelers, groups, incentives and cruise travelers . Our operation and philosophy are oriented on the respect for the environment and communities of our country. Since 1972 we have shared our country with visitors from all over the world, making their trips not only enjoyable, but a life time experience where great memories are created. During all these years, our family at Swiss Travel has worked intensely creating an organization capable to give each one of our guests, the experience they expect and deserve. We are always ready to make our guests’ expectations our own. Swiss Travel is also committed to preserve the resources that have made it possible for us to be in the place we stand today. We are proudly a CST approved (Sustainable Tourism Certified) company, certification that reinforces our commitment with Costa Rica’s natural resources, its different communities and our own most valued assets; our employees. By working around these three main fields, we are very positive and believe that the future will be as bright as it has been over the last four decades. 1
Mission Accent on Service. Exceeding customer expectations, offering the service that they expect.
Vision Maintaining leadership, based on growth and continuous improvement of our processes and services, through our values and good practices..
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Organization Core Values Our Board of Directors and Management are very aware of the importance of personal commitment at all levels, in order to achieve the organization’s wellbeing; therefore provide the support and resources necessary to establish the core values that lead Swiss Travel and helps direct the business closer to our most important goal: Accent on Service!
Our values • Take Risks: As long as they are planned and consistent with the mission, vision and objectives of the company. • Forecast: Anticipate and plan work based on PADC (Plan, Act, Do, Check) is a continuous improvement. • Team Work: Under a single purpose, commitment, involvement, trust, process and communication. 5
• Customer Orientation: We strive to understand our customer’s needs and to meet and exceed their expectations. • Ethics: We pursue the most sincere and honest behavioral and professional ethics among peers and clients. • Responsibility and Conservation: We perform our activities in a responsible manner, based on the principles of sustainability and best practices to ensure business continuity and conservation of our natural and cultural resources.
Experience As the leading tour operator in Costa Rica, Swiss Travel has gained great experience in service, receptive tourism operation and constant innovation. Our satisfied clients are the beacon of our biggest success; as well the constant testimonial letters received from them, encouraging us to continue providing the best service in the industry.
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Human Resources
Our human resources are one of our most important added values. At Swiss Travel, we are certain that a service-based business depends on the excellence of the personnel delivering it and their commitment to the company’s mission and vision of service. All our divisions of service are divided into Account Executives who are fluent in English and Spanish, although we can also assist customers in other languages, such as French and German. All our staff is highly qualified to create the tailor-made itineraries that our guests might require. Our Service Delivery Department has been carefully trained to assist our customer’s needs and requests while in Costa Rica, offering a 24 hour, 365 days a year service to increase their safety and peace of mind.
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Tour Guides
All of our guides are fully bilingual in English and Spanish, with some of them being also able to speak French, Italian and German. They have high levels of university education as well as great knowledge of Costa Rica, its history, culture and natural wealth. Swiss Travel takes pride with professional guides who will show you the wonders that grace our country, at the right time and in the right way. Their punctuality, knowledge and fluency in other languages will set your trip to become a truly outstanding experience. Furthermore, our guides are certified by the Costa Rican Tourism Board, which gives an additional edge and advantage, ensuring the quality of service we provide to our customers.
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Our Image
The image and corporate communication are really important for Swiss Travel. The company has recently changed its colors to green and orange. From stationery to uniforms they have been printed in two shades.
Why green and orange? For the company these two colors synthesize its culture: focused and creative, but also energetic and active. The union of these colors distinguish our first class services.
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Sales and customer service representatives Customer service and tour sales staff members available at the main hotels in Guanacaste are able to provide our visitors with the best information on our daily tours, as well as assisting them with their daily activities. You can find our representatives at the following hotels in Guanacaste: • • • • • • •
JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa Occidental Grand Papagayo Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica The Westin Golf Resort & Spa Playa Conchal RIU Hotels & Resorts Dreams Las Mareas Hotel Occidental Tamarindo
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Technology Technology is an essential element in today’s world, helping us offer fast, prompt and safe services. Swiss Travel is conscious of these important tools, therefore we are constantly investing in the latest technology of internal networking and databases that grant us to get to know and determine any detail that concerns our clients’ trips. This allow us to offer the fastest and accurate response to any of clients’ needs.
Transportation Swiss Travel owns the largest, most modern fleet of tourism buses in Costa Rica. The buses range from 50-passenger coaches to microbuses for individual passengers. All have air conditioning, spacious reclining seats, DVD, and radio communication. We also have 8 large buses with ramps and a new vehicle specially designed for physically challenged persons, with drivers trained by the National Rehabilitation Council. 17
Safety Our main concern is your safety and we strive to guarantee it. Swiss Travel carefully selects each supplier in each of the programs we design; helping us guarantee the highest standards of quality and safety. Swiss Travel is also covered by the most comprehensive insurance policies available from the National Insurance Institute Infrastructure Infrastructure is definitely one of our strongest assets. We currently own three different buildings, two in San JosĂŠ and an additional one in Liberia, which serve our clients. All of these buildings are just minutes away from international airports. Our three Hacienda-Style properties have capacity for over 500 people each, capable of holding all types of events. We can offer theme parties, meetings or hubs for tours or in case of flight delays. These properties offer local and international food, ramps, restrooms (with facilities for physically challenged persons), tropical gardens and Spanish colonial-style buildings. 19
FIT
Individual Travelers
Integral Solutions We offer the perfect solution for you to stop worrying about hotel reservations, transportation, tours, private tourism services, creation and organization of theme parties, and special events along with the logistics. We offer solutions to individuals, groups, meetings or incentive travelers. We take charge of every detail, offering you an added value to your precious time. Our mission, "With the Accent on Service" will guarantee that you're in the best hands while in Costa Rica.
FIT (Individual Travelers) Whether you’re on a family vacation or a trip with your friends, Swiss Travel offers you the best Costa Rican trip advisors to design your custom-made vacation experience. Our professionals understand your needs and are willing to satisfy them considering both your interests and budget. Contact us and let us know your needs and expectations, because the more information you provide, the better we can design a program just for you. Let us know if you’re on a special celebration trip, how many people will be traveling with you or if you are looking for adventure, nature or relaxation. We even want to know what kind of food you like; this is how, we will design the perfect program for you, capable of making your holidays or special occasion, an unforgettable experience.
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Shore
Excursions Our experience goes back to 1978 when we handled the first Cruise Ship that called Costa Rica. Ever since we have carefully trained an excellent team capable to handle a complete operation, turn around as well as hotel accommodations and pre and post stays.
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Groups
Swiss Travel has been the leader in Group Travel since 1972. Each of our executives has received the proper training and has the best tools to guarantee that the best possible service is delivered to our customers. Our Groups Executives Team: Our Groups division is constituted of a very professional team of account executives with a strong background in the groups industry. All executives are fully bilingual in Spanish, English or German and are qualified to customize any travel itineraries according to the customer’s interests and budget. Our Tour Guides Team: A team of over 40 tour guides are part of our staff. All of them are fully bilingual in Spanish and English, and also some of them are also fluent in French, German or Italian. Most guides have been working for Swiss Travel for a period of years and are committed to our mission and service standards. They have an impressive resume of education and experience, handling all type of groups; allowing our guides to transmit their knowledge and experiences to the groups, making your trip not only unforgettable, but also fun and educational.
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We offer what your group needs: Swiss Travel offers the right product for the right group. A great selection of options according to the group’s interest, from birdwatchers, adventure groups, high school and university students to senior citizens, community service, family vacations or just leisure groups. All of them will have a customized program and the right tour guide to make their experience a memorable one. Giveaways: A wide variety of gifts are available for your giveaways. Our executives will help you decide from our large list of products and quote the perfect gift for your group: handmade wood pieces, photo frames, coffee or banana paper products, coffee bags, coffee liquors, aromatherapy products and paintings are some ideas for you give away. Promotional material: We can send additional promotional materials needed to promote your groups: hotel brochures, maps, video, pictures, general information of Costa Rica and any other documentation requested. If you wish, we can also design specific flyers or full color artworks with our in house designers who will prepare and send them to you for ready for printing. We can also hand out specific materials to the group participants upon their arrival to Costa Rica. If you desire, you can also send the artworks for any needed materials to be printed and we will put it together for you. 27
DMC
Incentives & Meetings
Swiss Travel has been managing DMC activities for over the last four decades and is committed to preserving all the natural resources in Costa Rica. It has also hoisted out Costa Rica as one of the ecotourism destinations around the world and as a destination that holds the finest infrastructure and highly competitive services, technology, lodging, transportation and attractions needed to perform your incentive activities. As a customer service oriented company, we are aware of the immense importance that the human factor plays in achieving your activity. Therefore we offer the expertise of our incentive team to create, manage and design tailor made programs under your business needs. We will work shoulder to shoulder with you through all stages of the planning process, including site inspections, program design, itinerary planning, logistics and on-site coordination to create a successful event. A program manager will be assigned to your event and oversee all operational details through it.
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Sustainability
During the last years, Swiss Travel has created a very successful Management Tourism Sustainability System within the company. Sustainability pillars such as environmental, economic and socio-cultural elements are controlled in every activity related to the corporation, its employees and individuals. All this efforts are implemented under the company’s Sustainability Policy: “The Accent on Service that Swiss Travel provides its customers is backed up with solid Sustainability Management actions in order to guarantee our mutual clients satisfaction, prevent contamination and generate social responsibility in the different areas of operation, to achieve our goals and the economic success.� What is Sustainable Tourism? Sustainability is a concept originated in the ecological sciences and it was then defined as the ability of an ecosystem, community of beings, or a population of a single species to endure over prolonged periods of time.
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The concept was taken and then applied to economics, both on the macro and micro levels, to transform into sustainable economics, a concept that accepts the reality that economic human activities have an impact on the environment and the socioeconomic structure of the human context, and accepts the interrelations between those three elements. From here many concepts have emerged, the triple bottom line, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable development to name a few, all share this fundamental recognition that for society, economics and nature to thrive there must be a balanced effort from individuals, public sector and the private sector to maintain these three pillars over prolonged periods of time. Although there isn’t an universally accepted definition of what exactly sustainability is, we follow the definition of the UN Brundtland Commission of 1987 which says: “…development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”
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Our Mission statement, as well as the vision we have for our future and our shared Corporate Values revolve around the following concept or sustainability policy: “The Accent on Service placed by every individual in favor of our clients allows us to provide excellent services in a sustainable way. We work continuously towards improving customer satisfaction, preventing contamination and executing social responsibility projects where we operate, thus achieving our company's success�. Swiss Travel has taken on the challenge of becoming a world-class organization. This requires each of our departments and services to further enrich our competitiveness, to become more productive and to increase quality levels, while raising environmental awareness, with the purpose of achieving a position of leadership among tour operators worldwide. Swiss Travel has decided to conduct its business in a sustainable way. In 2009, we were re-certified by the Costa Rican Board of Tourism with 4 leaves of the CST standard, and it was onwards and upwards from there! We worked hard improving the scores in our evaluations and achieved the coveted fifth star on our last evaluation in 2016. 35
Touristic Sustainability is an integral concept. Managing a Sustainable operation not only means being respectful with the natural resources of our country, it also means supporting our local communities and cultures and empowering and providing substantial support to the socio-economic development of our beloved Costa Rica. Only by achieving and maintaining balance between those three areas, can we ensure that our activities will be able to grow and subsist in the long term. Hence, for our projects and actions to be sustainable, they must comply with the following conditions, in order to generate a positive outcome within each of the pillars of Sustainability: • Natural Environment: The activities must minimize and/or offset all negative effects it may produce; ideally. Ideally, it must be developed in total harmony with nature and help nurture it. • Socio-cultural Environment: The activities shall not cause damages to the social and cultural structures of the area in which it is performed. On the contrary, it should help them evolve and improve, always remaining true to their original form and best character. • Socio-economic Environment: The activities must benefit all parties involved in its development; including business-owners, employees, and the populations of every area where it unfolds. 37
Swiss Travel: Certifications and credentials Swiss Travel has obtained the highest level of the CST certification, with 5 leaves and has adopted the best practices in its daily activities to keep this certification level every day and avoid the all possible impact on our natural and socio-cultural resources. The projects and programs conducted within the sustainability area have generated profit for both operating costs and the socioeconomic development of the visited areas. The incorporation of sustainability as a cross-cutting in the business operation, has allowed the company to create responsible activities by multiplying this effort with its collaborators, providers and clients guaranteeing the conservation of resources. In 2015, Swiss Travel got the Ecological Blue Flag award, a national program evaluated annually and has 11 categories, and we participate in category No. 6, called actions to address climate change. We are proud members of international organizations like USTOA, LATA, SITE, ASTA and Virtuoso.
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On the Web Without leaving aside the importance that generates communication and contact with our suppliers and customers, ensuring success in operations and bridge gaps, Swiss Travel has a highly developed internet web site www.swisstravelcr.com, which shows detailed information of all hotels, tours, programs, packages and transportation possibilities that it is capable to provide. Our clients have access to an online service as well, online tariffs, hotel availability and an online booking system with all the information on booking status, itineraries and rates. This tool is exclusively available for wholesale clients and travel agents with a contract with Swiss Travel.
* In Swiss Travel we look for the achievement on the service and quality of all the tourist attractions we offer, that’s why we guarantee that the content of promotional materials and our offers meets the standards promised.
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P.O.Box 7-1970, ZP San José, Costa Rica. Tel.: (506) 2282-4898 Fax: (506) 2282-4890 Guanacaste, Tel: (506) 2667-0606 info@swisstravelcr.com · www.swisstravelcr.com