New course in Solothurn: Marco Lupi becomes President of Tourism!

New course in Solothurn: Marco Lupi becomes President of Tourism!

At a crucial moment for the Solothurn region, Marco Lupi was elected as the new president at the general meeting of the Solothurn Tourism Region. Lupi succeeds Michael Hug, who held the post for nine years and highlighted numerous challenges during his term, including the coronavirus pandemic. Under Hug, the club, which currently has 560 members, has achieved significant success, but has also seen a decline in overnight stays.

Marco Lupi was previously a board member for four years and attaches great importance to presenting the region more broadly. “We have to strongly communicate the diversity of our offerings to the outside world,” he emphasized upon his election. The region organized 1,466 city tours last year, resulting in 154,735 overnight stays. However, the region recorded a 7% decline in overnight stays, which is primarily attributed to the closure of the Hotel Astoria and the Zunfthaus zu Wirthen.

Finances and outlook for the future

Despite the challenges, Solothurn Tourism Region generated a turnover of 1.5 million francs with 400,000 francs in subsidies, with the association's income increasing to 1.659 million francs. For the coming year, the association is planning a budget target with an income of more than 1.7 million francs. The success in media presence should not be underestimated: last year the region achieved an advertising equivalent of 4 million francs, supported by around 400 articles.

One of the key investments to combat the decline in overnight stays is the new hostel at the Nominis Jesu monastery, which will help make up for the lost 2,000 overnight stays. The association has also planned a variety of events, including the “Solothurner Adventure Weeks”, which offer 150 bookable events from the end of July to October 26th. A new project, “Urban Golf,” is scheduled to start in June with eleven holes in the old town.

Special events and honors

With the aim of keeping guests in Solothurn longer, special tours are offered in a special edition of the magazine “Transhelvetica”. Other planned events include the adventure trail on the Weissenstein and the 3rd dragon boat race at the end of August. Martin Barth will replace Hans Weber on the board in the future.

A particularly emotional moment of the general meeting was the minute's silence for the late city guide Kathrin Käch, who offered city tours for over 46 years. Helmuth Zipperlen, who has been active in the city tour business for 55 years, recalled their valuable contribution to promoting tourism in Solothurn.

The challenges and changes that Marco Lupi now wants to tackle as the new president will be decisive for how the Solothurn region will develop in the coming years. Lupi calls for people to join forces and raise the region's tourism landscape to a new level. Further information on developments and the Solothurn Tourism Region's annual report can be found on the website Solothurn newspaper and Solothurn City.