Spiez Marketing AG

What Spiez Marketing AG does

Spiez Marketing AG (SMAG) is the integrated local marketing organization (Ortsmarketingmodell) for the municipality of Spiez on Lake Thun in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. Founded in 2010 as a Swiss Aktiengesellschaft, it is jointly owned by three shareholders — Gemeinde Spiez (municipality), Spiez Tourismus, and Gewerbeverband Spiez (trade association) — under a structure designed to align municipal, tourism, and commercial interests. The company is led by CEO Stefan Seger with Board President Prisca Graf and operates with a 12-person team from its headquarters at Bahnhofstrasse 10d, Spiez.

SMAG's mandate spans destination marketing, location promotion for economic and residential attractiveness, and direct operation of visitor services. Core operations include tourist information through Info-Center Spiez (at the train station), Tourismusbüro Faulensee, and Info-Point Bucht Spiez; water sports rentals (SUP, canoes, motorboats, pedal boats) at Faulensee; the 30-year-old Spiezer Zügli fun train; Sealander caravan-boat experiences; themed smartphone trails (SmarTrails); adventure puzzles (Krimispass, Erlebnisrätsel); and event organization (Seaside Festival, Castle Concerts, Spiezathlon, beach soccer tournaments). The technology platform centers on spiez.com with integrated online booking/reservation systems, a MailChimp-powered SpiezLetter newsletter, Google Analytics, and Google Maps integration.

SMAG's revenue model is anchored by tourist tax (Kurtaxen) collection tied to overnight stays — the destination generated approximately 198,000 overnight stays in 2025, a record — supplemented by unit-priced voucher sales (CHF 7-330), souvenir e-commerce (CHF 1-65), historical books (CHF 29), brochure sales, and direct service operations revenue. The organization serves domestic Swiss tourists (largest segment, ~50% of hotel stays), international visitors from China, USA, and Germany, local businesses (via a trade contact point since 2016), and Spiez residents, and has held Swisstainable sustainability certification since August 2024.

Name

Spiez Marketing AG

Legal name

Spiez Marketing AG

Website

https://spiez.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Spiez Marketing AG is the Swiss destination marketing organization for Spiez on Lake Thun, jointly owned by the municipality, tourism board, and trade association, promoting tourism, operating boat rentals, the Spiezer Zügli fun train, and info centers for domestic and international visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

POI, Local Listings & Business Directory Platforms (BPAMANAD)

Keywords

• Destination marketing services
• Tourism information services
• Boat rental services
• Event management services
• Souvenir merchandise sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Spiez

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tourist Tax (Kurtaxen): Collection of tourist taxes from overnight stays in Spiez, which represents the primary revenue stream for the organization. Higher overnight stays directly correlate to increased tax revenues.
2. Voucher Sales: Sales of vouchers for attractions including Minigolf, Sealander boat trips, canoe rental, SUP rental, and Fun Train rides. Also includes trade vouchers supporting local commerce.
3. Souvenir Sales: E-commerce sales of branded merchandise including umbrellas, flip-flops, towels, t-shirts, hats, phone cases, ducks, and the unique Spiezer Speck Besteck (bacon crockery). Service fee of CHF 5 for orders under CHF 100.
4. Brochure and Book Sales: Sales of informational brochures and historical books about Spiez region including '100 Jahre Strandweg Spiez-Faulensee', 'Spiez historisch', and 'Einigen - der schönste Punkt der Welt'. Online ordering with service fee.
5. Service Operations Revenue: Revenue from operating water sports facilities in Faulensee (boat rental) and managing the Spiezer Zügli (fun train) attraction. The organization directly operates these tourist services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Spiez Marketing AG is the official destination marketing organization for Spiez, Switzerland. It promotes Spiez as a tourist destination by operating tourist information centers, running a comprehensive tourism website with online booking, directly operating water sports rentals (SUP, canoe, motorboat, pedalo) and the Spiezer Zügli fun train attraction, and organizing major events including the Seaside Festival and Castle Concerts. It also retails branded souvenirs, regional books, attraction vouchers, and informational brochures online and through physical Info-Centers.

Product overview

Spiez Marketing AG operates a comprehensive tourism information platform for the Spiez destination at Lake Thun, Switzerland. The organization offers a diverse portfolio of digital services (weather forecasts, newsletters, videos, brochures) and operates physical tourism experiences including boat rentals (SUP, canoes, motorboats, pedal boats), the Spiezer Zügli fun train, Sealander boat experiences, adventure puzzles (Krimispass, Erlebnisrätsel), and SmarTrails smartphone-guided theme trails. Additionally, the company sells souvenirs, books, vouchers, and brochures. The offering functions as a destination marketing ecosystem combining digital information services with experiential tourism products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bootsvermietung Faulensee (Boat Rental Faulensee)
• Spiezer Zügli (Fun Train)
• Sealander
• SmarTrails
• Krimispass (CrimeFun)
• Erlebnisrätsel (Adventure Puzzles)
• Spiez Vouchers
• Spiez Souvenirs
• Spiez Books
• Spiez Brochures

Quantifiable outcome

• Record 198,000 overnight stays in 2025, a 7% increase year-over-year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Gemeinde Spiez (Municipality of Spiez)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2010One of three shareholders in Spiez Marketing AG. The municipality provides foundational support and commissioning for local marketing activities. SMAG conducts location promotion for the municipality in areas of economy, residential, and tourism. The municipal council commissioned SMAG to form a working group addressing tourism-related challenges.
• Spiez TourismuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2010One of three shareholders in Spiez Marketing AG. Represents the tourism sector within the integrated local marketing model.
• Gewerbeverband Spiez (Trade Association Spiez)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2010One of three shareholders in Spiez Marketing AG. Represents local commerce and trade businesses within the integrated local marketing model. SMAG operates a business contact point (Anlaufstelle für das Gewerbe) since 2016 to support trade networking.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Luzern Tourismus AG: Regional DMO for Lucerne, Switzerland. Comparable in scope of services (visitor information, event coordination, accommodation booking, group tourism) and scales similarly to a mid-sized Swiss destination marketing organization.
• Genève Tourisme: Destination marketing organization for Geneva. Performs comparable DMO functions: hotel and tourism coordination, events promotion, visitor information services, and collaboration with municipal authorities for destination development.
• Engadin Tourismus AG: Regional DMO for the Engadin valley in Graubünden, Switzerland. Operates with a similar integrated model promoting winter/summer tourism, accommodation services, events, and visitor information; comparable in size and service portfolio to SMAG's regional scope.
• Thun Tourismus: Direct peer and near-neighbor DMO for Thun and the broader Lake Thun region. Both organizations share the same destination ecosystem (Lake Thun), operate from the same region, and serve overlapping tourist audiences with comparable service offerings (information centers, accommodation booking, events).
• Zermatt Tourism: Destination marketing organization for Zermatt, a Swiss alpine tourism destination. Operates the same DMO functions: tourist information, event management, accommodation coordination, and marketing campaigns for a single destination with comparable operational structure.
• Interlaken Tourismus: Direct peer operating as a destination marketing organization for Interlaken, a comparable Lake Thun/Brienz region Swiss destination. Both organizations perform the same core DMO function: promoting tourism, operating attractions, collecting tourist taxes, and managing visitor information services for neighboring Swiss lake destinations.
• Graubünden Ferien: Regional DMO for the canton of Graubünden. One of the largest Swiss regional tourism organizations, comparable in operational scope (multi-destination marketing, event coordination, accommodation services) and similar integrated governance model with cantonal and municipal stakeholders.

Broad incumbents

• Schweiz Tourismus (Switzerland Tourism): National DMO and the umbrella organization that Swisstainable certification (held by SMAG) is administered through. They operate at the country level rather than destination level but are comparable in function: promoting Switzerland tourism, coordinating marketing campaigns, certifying sustainability programs, and collecting market intelligence.

Regional players

• Visit Basel: Tourism organization for Basel, located in the German-speaking Swiss region like Spiez. Comparable in promoting a culturally rich destination with diverse events, accommodation booking, and visitor information services, though targeting a different urban tourism segment.
• Ticino Turismo: Regional DMO for the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino. Performs comparable DMO functions (destination marketing, event coordination, accommodation services) but serves a different geographic region of Switzerland with distinct cultural offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCiTJQ1XcmUldygyy3qbVNAw?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/spiezthunersee
• Instagraminstagram.com/my_spiez/?hl=de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spiez-marketing-ag

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spiez Marketing AG