World Heritage Experience Switzerland - WHES

What World Heritage Experience Switzerland - WHES does

World Heritage Experience Switzerland (WHES) is a non-profit umbrella organisation founded in 2009 and headquartered in Bern, serving as the official national coordinating body for UNESCO World Heritage in Switzerland. The organisation unites stakeholders across Switzerland's 13 UNESCO World Heritage sites — including site managers, cantonal governments, tourism operators, public transport providers, educational institutions, and the Swiss Commission for UNESCO — with the mission of preserving and valorising cultural and natural heritage under the guiding principle 'You only protect well what you know well.' WHES is a founding member of the European Network of World Heritage Associations (ENWHA) and operates programmes in tourism, education, and accessibility.

WHES's core offering is the 'Our Heritage' digital platform (ourheritage.ch), a multilingual content management system providing visitor information, interactive maps, event listings, and educational resources spanning World Heritage sites, Intangible Cultural Heritage, and Biosphere Reserves. Supporting products and services include school and family educational programmes, virtual tours and 3D experiences (e.g., Monte San Giorgio, Convent of St. John in Müstair), interactive visitor-centre exhibits, a children's 'search and find' book sold at CHF 24.90, barrier-free accessibility services, and a multilingual gamification app in development under the 2026-2029 SECO Innotour project. Distribution flows through Switzerland Tourism (MySwitzerland.com), the Swisstainable programme, and regional tourism boards.

Revenue mechanics are characteristic of a Swiss non-profit association: individual and institutional membership fees, partner packages for intensive cooperation, patronage donations (TWINT, bank transfer), and multi-year project grants from SECO's Innotour programme and the New Regional Policy (NRP) co-financed by seven Swiss cantons (Grisons as lead canton, plus Berne, Glarus, Neuchâtel, St. Gallen, Ticino, and Valais). Patronage support comes from organisations including Banca Stato, Burgergemeinde Bern, Gebäudeversicherung Bern GVB, and Loterie Romande. Pricing for membership and partner packages is not publicly disclosed; the hidden-object book is the only unit-priced commercial product.

Name

World Heritage Experience Switzerland - WHES

Legal name

World Heritage Switzerland (WHES)

Website

https://whes.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

World Heritage Experience Switzerland (WHES) is a non-profit umbrella organisation founded in 2009 that coordinates stakeholders across Switzerland's 13 UNESCO World Heritage sites — including tourism operators, cantonal governments, and educational institutions — operating the Our Heritage digital platform and heritage valorisation programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage preservation and sustainable tourism services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

Keywords

• Heritage preservation services
• Cultural tourism coordination
• UNESCO World Heritage
• Educational heritage programmes
• Sustainable tourism development

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Association generates revenue through individual and institutional membership fees
2. Partner fees: Organisations can become partners for more intensive cooperation; partners gain access to valorisation, mediation or management packages
3. Patronage and donations: Patronage contributions help sustain initiatives and protect and promote World Heritage in Switzerland; includes TWINT and bank transfer donation options
4. Government project funding: Funding from SECO Innotour programme, NRP (New Regional Policy) projects co-financed by federal government and cantons

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WHES is the national umbrella association for UNESCO World Heritage in Switzerland, coordinating stakeholders, delivering educational and tourism programmes, and operating the multilingual Our Heritage digital platform (ourheritage.ch). It offers individual and institutional memberships, partner packages for valorisation/mediation/management cooperation, family heritage experiences, accessibility programmes, and physical educational products such as a hidden object book. Core funding comes from membership/partner fees, patronage donations, and government grants (SECO Innotour, NRP, Loterie Romande).

Product overview

World Heritage Experience Switzerland (WHES) operates as an umbrella organization for UNESCO World Heritage in Switzerland, functioning primarily as an informational and educational platform rather than a traditional software product. The core offering is the 'Our Heritage' digital platform (ourheritage.ch) which serves as a comprehensive discovery and planning tool for UNESCO World Heritage sites, Intangible Cultural Heritage, and Biosphere Reserves. Supporting services include educational programs for schools and families, barrier-free accessibility initiatives, and membership/patronage programs. The organization also produces educational materials like the 'Hidden Object Book' for children ages 2-6. WHES does not offer a commercial software product with traditional integrations, APIs, or AI capabilities; instead, it provides heritage preservation, mediation, and tourism valorization services through its platform and partner network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Our Heritage Platform (ourheritage.ch) Multilingual digital platform (DE/EN/FR/IT) providing comprehensive discovery, visitor guides, interactive maps and event information for Switzerland's 13 UNESCO World Heritage sites, Intangible Cultural Heritage and Biosphere Reserves. Used by tourists, families and the general public to plan heritage visits.
• World Heritage Educational Programmes Educational outreach initiatives including school programmes, family activities and learning resources about UNESCO World Heritage sites in Switzerland, developed in collaboration with schools and universities of teacher education.
• Family Heritage Experiences Curated family-friendly activities, children's discovery tours, multimedia guides and interactive learning experiences at various Swiss World Heritage sites, aimed at families with children.
• Barrier-Free Heritage Access Accessibility-focused programmes providing wheelchair access, simplified language options and inclusive experiences at World Heritage properties across Switzerland for visitors with disabilities or specific access needs.
• Hidden Object Book 'UNESCO World Heritage'

Quantifiable outcome

• Paradigm shift from 'consuming' to 'earning' destinations - visitors engage more consciously with cultural and ecological specificities of World Heritage sites
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• European Network of World Heritage Associations (ENWHA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009WHES is a founding member of ENWHA, which is committed to long-term transnational exchange and cooperation among World Heritage associations across Europe. This partnership enables knowledge sharing and collaboration at the international level.
• Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSI collaborates on the Innotour project 'From Consuming to Earning a Destination' focused on sustainable tourism and innovative visitor engagement tools.
• Switzerland Tourism / SwisstainablemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerWHES participates in Switzerland's sustainability programme 'Swisstainable' which promotes sustainable travel and recognises World Heritage properties at Level II.
• Swiss Commission for UNESCOmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss Commission for UNESCO provides patronage support and collaborates on World Heritage initiatives.
• Rhätische Bahn AG (RhB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRhB operates the UNESCO World Heritage Rhaetian Railway Albula/Bernina line and collaborates on visitor experiences including the Bernina Express, Illusion Wagon Filusio, and various railway-themed attractions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Italia Nostra: Italian heritage preservation association active in cultural and environmental heritage. Comparable as a national-level non-profit heritage association focused on advocacy, education, and site preservation — analogous in role to WHES.

Broad incumbents

• Historic England: Public body for heritage protection and promotion in England. Comparable as a heritage-focused organisation combining conservation, interpretation, and public engagement roles similar to WHES's mandate.
• National Trust (UK): Large heritage preservation charity operating historic sites, parks, and properties across the UK. Comparable membership-based non-profit heritage organisation with similar reliance on membership fees, partnerships, and visitor experience offerings.
• National Park Service (US): US federal agency managing national parks and heritage sites with strong educational programming and visitor experience focus. Comparable in mandate around heritage preservation combined with public education and visitor engagement, though at vastly larger scale.
• UNESCO World Heritage Centre: International secretariat administering the World Heritage Convention globally. Operates at a much larger scale but is the ultimate institutional counterpart for any national World Heritage association, including WHES.
• Switzerland Tourism (MySwitzerland): National tourism marketing organisation and WHES distribution partner through Swisstainable and MySwitzerland.com. Broader incumbent operating across all Swiss tourism categories, with World Heritage as one segment within a much wider portfolio.

Regional players

• Ticino Turismo: Regional tourism organisation for Ticino and a WHES distribution partner. Comparable as a cantonal destination marketing organisation promoting World Heritage properties such as the Three Castles of Bellinzona and Monte San Giorgio.
• St.Gallen-Bodensee Tourismus: Regional tourism organisation covering the St.Gallen-Bodensee area and a WHES distribution partner. Comparable as a regional destination marketing organisation that promotes World Heritage sites within its territory.

Direct peers

• Swiss Commission for UNESCO: Swiss national UNESCO commission providing patronage and coordination for World Heritage in Switzerland. Direct peer as the national-level institutional counterpart to WHES, working with overlapping government and heritage stakeholders.
• European Network of World Heritage Associations (ENWHA): Transnational network of World Heritage associations across Europe, of which WHES is a founding member. Direct peer as a coordination body for heritage associations with shared mandate of transnational exchange.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/worldheritageswitzerland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-heritage-experience-switzerland-whes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 World Heritage Experience Switzerland - WHES