By Tourism Expert and independent Consultant Lukas Ritzel, October 2013To follow my credentials simply Google my name: Lukas RitzelLukas RitzelCurrently activily lecturing at Harvard University & Grenoble Graduate School of Currently activily lecturing at Harvard University & Grenoble Graduate School of BusinessBusiness

Study Hotel- and Tourism- Study Hotel- and Tourism- Management in Switzerland, Management in Switzerland,

LuzernLuzern

“Value For Money”. Although studying in Switzerland seems more costly compared to other countries, Switzerland is famous for its “value for money”. Moreover, the educational system in Switzerland is surely among the best in the world, currently ranked 3rd in the latest 2012 report of World Economic Forum (http://goo.gl/yvSND) and even ranked 2nd if it comes to Management Schools.

Why study in Switzerland?Why study in Switzerland?

Switzerland is a small country…Switzerland is a small country…

• Some key figures http://goo.gl/yvSND :• Your want to study in a safe and politically stable environment.

Organized Crime > Switzerland (rank 19), USA (72), Australia (27)• You want to study in overall favorable high quality infrastructure.

Quality of overall infrastructure > Switzerland (rank 1), USA (9), UK (24), Australia (25)

• You want to study where Internet is workingInternet Access > Switzerland ( rank 8), USA (11), UK (15), Australia (18)

• You want to work in a environment which support Innovative work and studiesCapacity for Innovation > Switzerland (rank 3), USA (6), UK (14), Australia (29)

• You want to have the availability of training services ensuredLocal availability of training services > USA (rank 1) Switzerland ( 2), UK (9), Australia (15)

• You want to study in an ethical environmentCorporate ethics > Switzerland (rank 9), Australia (10), UK (17), USA (22)

Why Switzerland?Why Switzerland?

Competitiveness 2012 / Competitiveness 2012 / 20132013

Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report: Top 10 tourism industriesTravel & Tourism Competitiveness Report: Top 10 tourism industries

http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GCR2013-14/GCR_Rankings_2013-14.pdf

.. And more.. And more

Small multi-cultural,

multi-lingual country

Small multi-cultural,

multi-lingual country

Friendly and

hospitable people

Friendly and

hospitable people

Reach Paris by train in 5 hours, London by airplane

for 20 Euro, Italy for a weekend shopping

Reach Paris by train in 5 hours, London by airplane

for 20 Euro, Italy for a weekend shopping

Politically and

economically stable

Politically and

economically stable

Safe Country

Safe Country

Cleanliness and

orderliness

Cleanliness and

orderliness

As of 2009 no more VISA

needed to travel Europe

As of 2009 no more VISA

needed to travel Europe

Why study in Luzern is ideal for Why study in Luzern is ideal for international students?international students?

Some Key facts:

Tourism hub of world fame and University town

Easy to communicate in English Beautiful lively city embedded

in a dreamlike natural environment

Luzern is in the German part Total 5000 Hotels in Switzerland. More than

4000 based in the German speaking part. 70% of population is German speaking

High profile guest lectures love to visit Luzern

First city wide free WIFI Internet Hosts Global Tourism Forum Voted Switzerland most

beautiful city for 3 years in a row

Luzern all WIFISince 2008, Luzern Old town all free WIFI international students can take their notebook along and work on their projects and sip their

coffee the very same time in one of the old towns many little restaurants

Is there a official hotelschool ranking in Is there a official hotelschool ranking in Switzerland?Switzerland?

• Simple answer– NO there is none– Many believe ASEH is the official ranking. ASEH is only

a member club with no officially recognized validation– Nor any other self made ranking – Nor rankings indicated through portals like

swissuniversityhandbook or topuniversities, they are all just marketing channels

– Many schools try selling themselves as University, NONE of them is (Except Lausanne EHL)

Which hotelschool or tourism school is Which hotelschool or tourism school is the best?the best?

• Best you ask the schools (not the agents) directly– Will I get the final diploma of the acreditting partner as a paper in hand, ask for a

sample– Ask for the concrete numbers of student origins. If they refuse don’t trust them. Few

have a ballanced studentbody– Will I received a diploma at the end of each stage– Ask for the details (CVs) of the current faculty (not the visiting ones)– Check on the social media on postings from current students (not the corporate

postings from internal marketing)– Ask for concrete numbers of their career services (how many people are working

there)– Visit the school for one day and get your own feeling, if you can’t go send somebody

else– Contact alumnis and ask them, locate those through social media. (Marketing will

always select their ambassadors cleverly, no value then)– Check the comparison Matrix on all Luzern based school on the next slide

Decision and comparison of best Hotel Management and Tourism

Schools in Switzerland, Luzern

Factors / not priorized IMI BHMS SEG /Ritz HTMi HCL LützelauProximity to City Center 12 km 3 km in the center 35 km 20 km

Size small small large midsize no go

Academic excellence 1-2 PHD 1-2 PHD 50% PHD 1-2 PHD no data

Carreer guidance 2 people 2 people large team no data no go

School Buildingtorn down, not build as a school

modern and build as a school, part of HLU

noble, fresh renovated, very stilish

nice and 100% swissness

torn down building, never been renovated

Residence Building torn down, nice locationtorn down, dreadful location

noble, well equipped, very spacey modern, well equipped torn down

School size small within larger network largest group small no go

Student numbers 200 350 2000 250 50

Luxury zero zero yes partly no go

Systems 5 years old PC no data hip all Mac Mac typewriter

Network l imited large large, well established large none

Legal family owned group Swiss,group/ investors group family owned

Risk assessment no data secure secure secure high

Student country of origin mainly Asia mainly Asiaworld mix, Europe, Asia and US/Can mainly asia India, Pakistan

Internetproblematic, because out of city center good hi speed hi speed no data

Safety high low (resident area) high high low (pub, far out)

Access to shopping 24/7must leave campus by bus walking distance walking distance

hours away from city center Luzern

students find their own residence

In the media failed building project no datatake over of DCT school, move into Luzern 2012 no data bad press

Coolness factor trying no data yes - iPas, Mac yes - iTunesU, Mac no goMarketing better than product better than product understated aligned no dataValidating University Partner UK USA UK UK NONEValue of Swiss Diploma not accredited not accredited not accredited not accredited not accreditedStudent Activities some rare extensive some noneDistance campus to school same place 5 Km same place same place 20 Km

Final Assessment * / ***** ** * **** *** no goWebsite imi-luzern.com bhms.ch swisseducation.com htmi.ch none

Are there other good Hotel Management Are there other good Hotel Management School which are not in Luzern?School which are not in Luzern?

• Yes there are plenty good schools in many parts of Switzerland

• Lausanne certainly is the best address for academic excellence

• Followed again by the whole Swisseducationgroup and its different schools

CHALLENGE OR QUESTION MElritzel@wib.ch