2. SwissTravel is the leading tour operator in Costa Rica and proudly offers complete services for
individual, groups, incentives and cruise ship travelers, always with the slogan of responsibility and
respect towards our environment and people, framed by our incredible tropical biodiversity.
Since 1972 we have been sharing our country with visitors from all over the world, making their
trips not only enjoyable but a life time experience and great memories to be achieved.
During all these years, the Swiss Travel Team has worked intensely to create an organization
capable to give each one of our guests, the experience they expect. Our company is always ready
to make our guests’ expectations into a personal compromise.
SwissTravel is also committed to preserve the resources that made possible to be in the place we
stand today. We are proud to be CST approved (SustainableTourism Certified) and reaffirm our
commitment with the natural resources of Costa Rica, its local communities and our own most
valued assets; our employees. By working around these three main fields, we are positive the future
will be as bright as it has been over the last four decades.
Mission
We do not stop at simply delivering the service that our guests expect; we always try to exceed their
expectations. Our guests can be sure that, we work really hard to make their vacations in Costa
Rica, the most enjoyable of their lives.
Also, our on-time pick-ups; clean vehicles; friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable staff; as well as
the behind-the-scenes activity, turns our services into a very smoothly operation hard to notice be
our guests.That is why; thousands of satisfied customers have made us, the most successful ground
operator of Costa Rica.
Vision
The SwissTravel vision for the future is to maintain our leadership in the industry and foster steady
growth through continuously improving our services and increasing our already high level of
customer satisfaction.
Swiss Travel
3. The General Management is aware of the importance of personal commitment at all levels in order
to achieve organization’s wellbeing; therefore providing resources for the company’s crew
participation to establish core values; these will help leading the business to accomplish them and
getting close to our reason to be: With the accent on service!
Our values:
•Take Risks: As long as they are planned and congruent with the mission, vision and corporate
objectives.
• Forecast: Anticipate and plan our work based on the PDVA.
• Team Work: under a single purpose, commitment, involvement, trust, process and
communication.
• Customer Orientation: We will strive to understand the client's needs to meet and exceed their
expectations.
• Ethic: Sincere and honest behaviors 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.
Organization Core Values
4. As the leading tour operator in Costa Rica, Swiss Travel has accumulated a huge amount of
experience in service and receptive tourism operation, with constant innovation. Our satisfied
clients are the beacon of our biggest success; as well the constant testimony letters received from
them encourage us to keep providing the best service in the industry.
Human Resources
This is one of our most important added values. We at Swiss Travel are very clear that a
service-based business depends on excellent personnel who are committed to the mission of
excellence in service.
Our divisions of service are divided in Account Executives who are fluent in English and Spanish.
We also have executives in other languages, such as French and German. Our personnel are highly
qualified to create any tailor-made itinerary that our guests might need.
Our Service Delivery Department has been carefully trained to assist our clients’ needs and
questions while they’re traveling in Costa Rica, offering 24-hour service to increased safety and
peace of mind.
Experience
5. All of our guides are fully bilingual in English and Spanish. Additionally some of them also speak
French, Italian and German.They have high levels of university education and an excellent
knowledgeable base of Costa Rica its history, culture and natural wealth.
In SwissTravel, we boast excellent professional guides who will show you the wonder that graces
of our country, at the time in the right moment.Their punctuality, knowledge and fluency in other
languages will set your trip to a truly outstanding experience.
Furthermore , our guides are certified by the Costa RicanTourism Board, which has been an
additional advantage of quality we provide to our customers.
Tour Guides
6. The image and corporate communication are really important for SwissTravel.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.
Sales and customer service representatives
We have customer service and tour sales staff located at the main hotels in the Puntarenas and
Guanacaste areas, they are able to provide our clients the best information on our daily tours as
well as to assist them with their daily activities.
You can find our representatives at the following hotels:
Guanacaste
· JW Marriott Guanacaste Resort & Spa.
· Occidental Grand Papagayo.
· Allegro Papagayo.
· Hilton Papagayo Resort Costa Rica.
·Villas Sol Hotel & Beach Resort.
·TheWestin Golf Resort & Spa Playa Conchal
· RIU Hotels & Resorts.
· Barceló Langosta Beach.
Puntarenas
· Doubletree Resort by Hilton Puntarenas.
· Los Sueños Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort
Our image
7. Technology is an essential element in today’s world, helping us offer fast, prompt and safe services.
SwissTravel 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
SwissTravel 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.
Technology
8. Safety
Our main concern is your safety, and we strive to guarantee it. SwissTravel carefully selects each
supplier in each program that we prepare.This helps us guarantee high standards of quality and
safety. SwissTravel is covered by the most comprehensive insurance policies available from the
National Insurance Institute
Infrastructure
This is another of our strengths.We boast three buildings, two in San Jose and one Liberia, which
serve our clients. Both buildings are just minutes away from international airports.
Our three hacienda-style properties have capacity for over 500 people each, for all types of events.
We 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.
9. We are 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 travel.We take charge
of every detail, allowing you an added value to your precious time. Our mission, "With the Accent
on Service" will ascertain that you're in the best hands in Costa Rica.
FIT (Individual travelers)
Whether a family vacation or a trip with your friends, SwissTravel offers you the best Costa Rican
trip advisors in designing custom-made vacations. Our professionals understand your needs and
will work to satisfy them considering your interests and budget.
You can contact us and let us know your needs expectations, the more information you provide, the
better we can build up a program just for you.
We want to know if is it 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 make the perfect program for you, designed to make your holidays or
special occasion an unforgettable experience.
Integral Solution
10. SwissTravel has been the leader in-group travel since 1972.We have invested in training for our
executives and acquiring the latest technology to guarantee the best service for our clients.
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 client’s interest and budget.
Our Tour guides Team:
A team of over 40 tour guides are part of our company.All of them are fully Spanish/English spoken
and also some are fluent in French, German or Italian. Most guides have been working for the
company for years and are committed to our mission and service standards.They have an
impressive resume of education and experience, handling all type of groups; this background will
let our tour guides provide their knowledge and experiences to make our group’s trip not only
unforgettable, but also fun and educational.
We offer what your group needs:
SwissTravel 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.
Groups Department
11. 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 and banana paper products, coffee bags, coffee
liquor, aromatherapy products and paintings are some ideas for you give away.
Promotional material:
We can send any additional material needed to promote your groups: hotel brochures, maps, video,
pictures, general information of Costa Rica and any other documentation requested. Also, if you
wish, we can create any design flyers or full color arts; our art department will do it and send you
the arts for printing.This service has no cost; this is part of our service.
If you wish, we can also hand out specific material to the group participants once they arrive to
Costa Rica. Additionally, you can send the art materials to be printed; we will put it together for you.
Groups Department
12. SwissTravel having the experience of managing DMC activities for over last four decades and
committed with the natural resources of the country, has hoisted out Costa Rica as one of the best
world’s ecotourism destinations offering the finest infrastructure and highly competitive services,
technology, infrastructure, 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 perform 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 to oversee all operational
details throughout your event.
DMC Incentives & Meetings
13. During the last years, SwissTravel has reached a successful ManagementTourism Sustainability
System inside the company, by incorporating sustainable pillars as: environment, economic and
socio-cultural in every activity related to the corporation, its employees and individuals. All this
implemented under the company’s sustainable policy:
“The Accent on Service that all of us in the corporation provide our clients with, 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.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”
Sustainability
14. 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”.
SwissTravel 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.
SwissTravel has decided to conduct its business in a sustainable way. In 2009, we were re-certified
by the ICT with 4 leaves of the CST, and it’s onwards and upwards from there!We have been hard
at work to improve our evaluations and achieve the coveted fifth star after our next re-assessment.
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 activity must minimize and/or offset all negative effects it may
produce; ideally, it must develop in total harmony with nature and help nurture it.
• Socio-cultural Environment: The activity shall not cause damage 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 activity must benefit all parties involved in its development;
this includes business-owners, employees, and the populations of every area where it unfolds.
Sustainability
15. SwissTravel is one of the first tour company in obtaining the CST certification level of 4 leaves, in
November 2006. SwissTravel has adopted the best practices in their daily activities to improve this
certification every day by avoiding the least possible impact on natural 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.
SwissTravel is also a Rain Forest AllianceVerified tour operator and also founder member forTOPS
Costa Rica for Rain Forest Alliance also.
We are proudly members of the international organizations like USTOA, LATA,SITE, ASTA and
Virtuoso.
Swiss Travel: Certifications and Credentials
16. Without leaving aside the importance that generates communication and contact with our suppliers
and customers, that ensures success in operations and bridge gaps, SwissTravel has a page on the
Internet www.swisstravelcr.com, which may find detailed information of all hotels, tours, programs,
packages and transportation that the company handles.
We also offers our clients an online service where they can find an updated online tariff, hotel
availability and online booking system with all the information on booking status, itineraries and
rates. This tool is exclusively for wholesale clients and travel agents with a contract with Swiss
Travel.
On the Web
