Ticino Tourism
Ticino
Come for business, Stay for Lifestyle
Via Canonico Ghiringhelli 7
CH-6501 Bellinzona
Phone +41 91 825 70 56
Fax +41 91 825 53 01
Conferences in Ticino Region
Ticino, where Swiss efficiency and quality combine with Mediterranean Dolce Vita, is the ideal destination for seminars, congresses and incentives
Switzerland is a world apart whose unspoiled countryside, quality structures and efficient organization are internationally renowned. Reliable services, punctuality, political and economic stability: Switzerland is proud of what it does best.
To all of this, Ticino and its 4 key regions, add a typical Mediterranean touch, thanks to a mild climate, the Italian language, a delicious gastronomy clearly influenced by Italian tradition. Meetings, congresses and incentives find a fertile ground here.
All roads lead to Ticino
Ticino is easy to reach. By airplane you can land at the domestic airport Lugano-Agno, just 15 minutes away from the city centre, or at the international airports of Milan (Italy) or Zürich. The rail network in Switzerland is already high-performing but the new railway lines bring Ticino even closer to the rest of Switzerland.
Ticino is on the railroute linking the north and south of Europe as well, allowing for comfortable and fast connections. For the ones coming with private vehicle or coaches, a wide highway network is available.
Free Travel within Ticino
Reaching your congress, hotel, restaurant or local attraction has never been more convenient! Tourists and business travellers in Ticino have the possibility to use public transport free of charge in the whole region. All the visitors staying overnight in hotels, youth hostels and on camping sites can profit from this offer. The Ticino Ticket is provided upon arrival, and it is valid until the end of the day of departure. It also grants discounts up to 30% on creating the perfect opportunity for an incentive program.
Business in Ticino
For seminars, congresses, gala dinners, meetings or product presentations, the solution is close at hand. Within just a few kilometres, you will find the location tailored to your needs and the ideal scenario for your events. The centrally located Lugano Convention Centre, for example, comfortably holds up to more than 1,000 delegates and is located two steps away from many hotels, shops and attractions. Unique locations and hotels with well-equipped seminar rooms will meet all types of customer requests creating unforgettable business moments and a great overall experience.
Incredible incentives
The exceptional climate and charm of the landscape, with lakes and mountains, create an ideal setting for an original incentive event. With its territory rich in contrasts, in Ticino you are spoiled for choice. On the lakes you can cool down with SUP or sailing courses, or you can enjoy canyoning in the rivers. Alternative coaching with animals and exciting excursions with paragliding descents await you in the mountains. And for those who love gastronomy, you can taste local wines, learn how to cook risotto and tie your own Ticinese salami. But it does not end there! For an unforgettable incentive, there are technical visits, urban treasure hunts and guided tours focused on culture and architecture. Be inspired by the variety of business incentive activities that can be adapted to suit the size of each group.
Events in times of pandemics: just crises or even opportunities?
Roberto Badaracco
Municipal Councilor of the City of Lugano since 2016
Head of the Culture, Sport and Events Department
Hon. Badaracco, what can you tell us about the world of congresses and events after more than one year of pandemic and health restrictions?
For the entire events and congresses sector, 2020 was a period of great challenges, precisely due to the very nature of events, as an aggregation of people in a limited physical space. After an initial phase of total closure, required to confront the surge in the pandemic, the City has taken up the challenge by rethinking and implementing new platforms of public events, conferences and seminars. Undoubtedly, digital technology has addressed the needs of the sector, giving life to new forms of meetings, the so-called “hybrid” events (with participants both physically present and online), as well as the “virtual” ones (totally online). I would like to particularly emphasize the great work done by our staff, who have rethought all conference spaces in order to make them both safe and innovative, as well as proposing new procedures to the organizers, keeping alive the network between online and in-person participants, and giving the proper inputs to service and logistics providers.
One challenge after another that made us reconsider the concept of “event” more widely, much more inclusive and accessible to everyone. Indeed, I am convinced that this hybrid mode will become a new normal in the future. Nevertheless, I look forward to a return to “face to face” meetings in a short time, because I strongly believe that they are and will always be irreplaceable.
Thinking about the return to post-covid normality, what are the short-term projects and initiatives the City of Lugano is working on?
First of all, we took advantage of this period of less activity to carry out various renovations inside our venues: not only at the Palazzo dei Congressi (new digital signage, a brand-new website, staging of some rooms), but also in other buildings such as the Ex-Asilo Ciani, which will reopen completely renovated at the end of the year.
Regarding the events for the general public, at LAC (Lugano Arte e Cultura) we set up a programme of both hybrid and totally online events, which were greatly appreciated by the public who have been able to enjoy, albeit from home through diverse digital channels, numerous shows and concerts of international level.
Last but not least, I would like to mention the new version of the Lugano Card, which has now become MyLugano Card for residents and MyLugano Pass for tourists. These new cards, now in a fully digital version, allow holders to get discounts and promotions in shops, restaurants, museums, training courses, as well as cultural and recreational events. By using them, people can collect points to be used as if they were money. Therefore, Lugano with its brand-new city cards is ready, together with over 250 partners, to receive citizens and guests in squares, bars, restaurants, shops as well as in its recreational, entertainment and sports facilities as soon as the situation allows it.
Municipal infrastructure is precisely the topic that gives us the cue for the last question: what can you tell us about the big projects that the City is working on?
As Head of the Culture, Sport and Events Department of the City of Lugano, I will focus on my area of expertise: as you know, there are two major projects that the City has in the pipeline: the new Sports and Events Centre and the Congress Centre. On these two large areas, Lugano aims to have state-of-the-art facilities in terms of logistics, technology and utilization by the public. For the first one, the project has already been presented and approved by the City Council. A new stadium is included, with all related services, as well as the redevelopment of the entire Cornaredo district (North Lugano Area).
The Congress Centre, conceived as an extremely modular and functional structure, will be able to host events, fairs and congresses, even simultaneously. Among other things, it will be equipped with a convenient and ample parking, several recreational and dining spaces both outdoors and indoors. In short, a modern structure, easily accessible and suitable for all seasons.