Advisory Group Tourism Policy

The steering group acts as a sounding board for SECO in implementing the tourism strategy. Its members are drawn from the tourism industry, trade associations, cantonal governments, academia and the political sphere, ensuring the strategy stays grounded in the sector's needs.

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Members of the Advisory Group Tourism Policy

General principles

The steering group plays a valuable role in keeping the federal tourism strategy grounded in the real needs of the industry. Its 18 members operate according to the following principles.

Guiding principles

• The steering group functions as a think tank and sounding board for SECO as it implements the new tourism strategy.
• Members are invited in a personal capacity by the head of the EAER and speak for themselves, not for their organisations or institutions. Frank and open discussion is encouraged. Members may not send deputies.
• Membership is designed to reflect a balance across entrepreneurs, industry bodies, the main political parties, academia, regions and genders. The current composition achieves this balance and there is no pressing need to expand the group.
• SECO's Director chairs the group. SECO also provides the secretariat function – issuing invitations, setting the agenda and keeping the minutes. The EAER General Secretariat normally attends meetings.
• Meetings focus on the key priorities for implementing the tourism strategy. Members are consulted on priority activities and are welcome to raise issues and put forward proposals of their own.
• The steering group complements rather than replaces the existing formal consultation channels open to tourism stakeholders.
• The group meets twice a year, in the first and third quarters. Members are expected to attend.
• SECO keeps the public regularly informed about progress on the new tourism strategy, with the aim of ensuring that steering group members and other interested parties have access to broadly the same information.
• The steering group will remain in place until the new tourism strategy is adopted in 2027, and current members are expected to serve for the full term. If a member undergoes a fundamental change in their role, they are generally replaced. Members wishing to step down before 2027 should notify SECO, which will propose a successor to the head of the EAER. The EAER is due to report to the Federal Council on implementation progress in 2027, at which point the strategic foundations of federal tourism policy and the group's mandate and composition will be reviewed and updated as needed.

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