Institute of Tourism (ITO)
University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland Valais (HES-SO Valais)
After the division of the former Institute of Economics & Tourism (IET) in two separate institutes, the Institute of Tourism (ITO) became the sixth research institute of the University of Applied Sciences Valais (HES-SO Valais). It is closely linked with the new Bachelor of Science program in tourism (Swiss School of Tourism) which started 2007 in Sierre. Early 2011, the ITO consisted of 17 employees (professors, research associates, assistants and trainees). The Institute conducts each year between 50 to 100 R&D projects on a regional, national or international level and its annual budget amounts to roughly CHF 2.5 million.
The R&D efforts of ITO are focused on improving the competitiveness of the tourism sector in Switzerland. On one hand the Institute of Tourism intends to create, develop and spread new management tools (barometer, observatory, business model design, market intelligence, open innovation processes etc.) in order to revitalize local and regional tourism development, and on the other hand it tries to support the industry with knowledge and advices on the ever evolving social, technological and economic context. The analysis (and understanding) of trends induced by the information and communication technologies (social media, mobile Internet, online distribution, etc.) or by socio-demographic changes (aging society, etc.) is an essential base for the development of successful strategies for the stakeholders in tourism. Further essential elements in our work are the principles of sustainable development as well as the management of innovation and change processes in tourism.
The research and consulting activities of ITO are organised in 3 research axes, 2 transversal research topics and 2 competence pillars:
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ITO offers applied research and consulting especially in eTourism, monitoring and management tools in tourism, destination management, sustainable tourism, market research as well as feasibility and impact studies.
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