Travel Switzerland

What Travel Switzerland does

Swiss Travel System AG, operating under the 'Travel Switzerland' brand since 2024, is the joint marketing company for Switzerland's public transport network internationally. It is co-owned by Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), Switzerland Tourism, and five private railway companies (BLS, Jungfraubahnen, Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn, Rhaetian Railway, Montreux–Bernese Oberland Railway), and was founded in its current legal form in 2011. The company promotes the Swiss Travel Pass, Swiss Travel Pass Flex, regional passes (e.g., Berner Oberland Pass), panoramic train experiences (Glacier, Bernina, Gotthard Panorama, GoldenPass Express), boat services (e.g., MS Diamant), and mountain excursions to travel agents and tour operators in 22 target markets via a sales-led motion (11 in-region market managers) supplemented by a technical distribution layer (Swiss Mobility API / SMAPI, Agent Client, SBB Businessmanager).

Its product architecture is essentially a bundled ticketing and content platform: one ticket covers rail, bus, boat, mountain railways, and 500+ museums; the technical stack ties together SBB's ticketing infrastructure, the SMAPI integration (handling roughly 64% of Swiss Travel Pass sales), a trade-facing e-learning Academy (14,669 registered users in 2025) plus Excellence Talks video series, and a media library for press. Distribution channels include SMAPI integration (64%), direct consumer sales via sbb.ch (24%), and Swiss domestic POS (11%); AD75 agent-discount passes are fulfilled through Switzerland Travel Centre and Rail Europe.

The company earns revenue through a commission on ticket sales (commission is built into minimum selling prices) and through marketing-service revenues from partnership models including advertising partnerships, regional pass mandates, and promotional activities for transport providers and destinations. 2025 revenue reached a record CHF 460.6 million (+13% YoY) on 9.4 million tickets sold (+21%), spanning 22 markets with no single customer concentration risk evident beyond travel-trade fragmentation. Geography skews Asia (37%), Europe (31%), Americas (29%), and Australia (3%).

Name

Travel Switzerland

Legal name

Swiss Travel System AG

Website

https://travelswitzerland.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Swiss Travel System AG (operating as Travel Switzerland) is a Swiss public-private joint marketing company that promotes and distributes Switzerland's rail, bus, boat, and mountain transport products to international travel agents and tourists across 22 global markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism Transportation Marketing & Distribution

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Wholesale Groups, Series & Allotments (Group Blocks/Charters/Allotment Contracting) (THAKAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Package Tour Wholesalers (Pre-Packaged FIT/Group Programs) (THAKAJAC)

Keywords

• Public transport passes
• Travel trade distribution
• Panoramic train experiences
• International tourism marketing
• Rail ticketing integration

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commission on ticket sales: Revenue generated through commission-based model on ticket and pass sales. Distribution partners sell Swiss public transport products and earn commission on each transaction. Commission is included in listed minimum selling prices.
2. Marketing services: Revenue from partnership models including advertising partnerships, regional pass mandates, and promotional activities for transport providers and destinations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Travel Switzerland (Swiss Travel System AG) markets and distributes unified Swiss public transport tickets and passes — chiefly the Swiss Travel Pass, Swiss Travel Pass Flex, and regional passes — to international travelers through travel trade partners and direct channels. Its portfolio is bundled with scenic panoramic trains (Glacier Express, Bernina Express, GoldenPass Express, Gotthard Panorama Express, Palm Express), seat reservations, luggage forwarding, MICE/charter services, and air-rail combos with SWISS. Distribution is enabled for travel agents worldwide through the Swiss Mobility API (SMAPI) and AgentClient integrations.

Product overview

Travel Switzerland (operated by Swiss Travel System AG) offers a comprehensive portfolio of Swiss public transport products and experiences for international travelers. The core offering centers on the Swiss Travel Pass and Swiss Travel Pass Flex (unlimited travel tickets for 3-15 days by train, bus, and boat), supplemented by regional passes like the Berner Oberland Pass. Add-on modules include seat reservations, luggage services, MICE/charter services, and the Swiss Family Card. The portfolio features iconic panoramic train experiences (Glacier Express, Bernina Express, Gotthard Panorama Express, GoldenPass Express, Palm Express), sustainable boat experiences (climate-neutral MS Diamant, solar-powered MobiCat), and mountain excursions (Rigi, Stanserhorn, Stoos, Zermatt Bergbahnen). Trade education is delivered through the Swiss Travel System Excellence Program and Excellence Talks video series. For distribution, the Swiss Mobility API (SMAPI) and Agent Client enable partner connectivity, while SBB Businessmanager handles account management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Swiss Travel Pass The flagship all-in-one travel ticket offering unlimited travel by train, bus, and boat across Switzerland for 3, 4, 6, 8, or 15 consecutive days. Includes free admission to 500+ museums, discounts on mountain experiences, and complimentary Swiss Family Card for children aged 6-15 when accompanied by a parent. Available in 1st and 2nd class, Adult and Youth tiers, from CHF 254 (3 days, 2nd class, adult) to CHF 787 (15 days, 1st class, adult).
• Swiss Travel Pass Flex A flexible variant of the Swiss Travel Pass allowing unlimited travel on 3 to 15 freely selectable days within a one-month validity period, with the same museum, mountain and family benefits. Available in Adult and Youth tiers, 1st and 2nd class, priced from CHF 289 (3 days, 2nd class, adult) to CHF 819 (15 days, 1st class, adult).
• Berner Oberland Pass A regional pass covering the Bernese Oberland mountain region for 3 to 10 consecutive days. Includes unlimited travel within the area bordered by Bern, Luzern, and Montreux, with access to nine mountain experiences and lakes Thun and Brienz. Available in Adult, Youth and Reduced tiers for holders of Swiss Half Fare Card, Swiss Travel Pass, GA Travelcard or Half Fare Travelcard.
• Seat Reservations Bookable seating options on panoramic trains and select services ensuring guaranteed seats on popular routes including Glacier Express, Bernina Express, and GoldenPass Express. Sold as a standalone service for travelers needing confirmed seats.
• Luggage Services Convenient baggage handling services including hotel-to-hotel luggage transport, allowing travelers to explore Switzerland hands-free. Limited to one piece of luggage per person on certain services.
• MICE Services Public transport charter and group travel solutions for meetings, incentives, conferences, and events, including specialized carriages such as the InnoTren conference carriage on Rhaetian Railway.
• Glacier Express An 8-hour panoramic train journey between St. Moritz and Zermatt featuring 291 bridges and 91 tunnels. Offers Excellence Class, 1st class, and 2nd class with onboard catering, power outlets, and multilingual infotainment via Wi-Fi.
• Bernina Express A 4.5-hour panoramic rail journey from Chur to Tirano (Italy) reaching 2,535m altitude. Passes 196 bridges, 55 tunnels, glaciers, and the iconic Landwasser Viaduct. Offers Pullman Class vintage carriage experience.
• Gotthard Panorama Express A 5.5-hour combined panoramic train and boat journey from Ticino to Central Switzerland. Features 1st class panoramic coaches with oversized windows, multilingual guide, and optional boat cruise across Lake Lucerne.
• GoldenPass Express A 3h 15min panoramic journey linking Montreux and Interlaken with variable gauge bogie technology. Features panoramic coaches, Prestige Class luxury option with heated leather seats, and catering service.
• Palm Express A 3.5-hour scenic PostBus route connecting St. Moritz and Lugano across the Maloja Pass, through Val Bregaglia, and into Italian territory via Chiavenna to Lugano.
• MS Diamant Switzerland's first climate-neutral regular-service boat on Lake Lucerne. Features hybrid propulsion for significantly lower fuel consumption, underwater views, lake-water footbath, and inner gallery with glass dome.
• Solar Catamaran MobiCat A solar-powered catamaran on Lake Biel that is self-sustaining in energy terms and feeds excess power to the local grid. Since 2001, has transported over 40,000 passengers over 20,000 kilometers.
• Zermatt Bergbahnen Mountain railway and cable car operator connecting to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (3,883m), Europe's highest mountain station. Features the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing cableway crossing to Italy, with Swisstainable 'Leading' sustainability certification.
• Solar Cableway Staubern World's first battery-powered cableway relying exclusively on solar energy, located in the Alpstein region. Features energy storage enabling evening operations, with track cables supplying nearby mountain restaurant.
• E-PostBus Electric PostBus fleet in Interlaken operating entirely on renewable energy from hydro-electric power, producing significantly less noise than conventional buses.
• SWISS Air Rail Combined air-rail product offering guaranteed connections between Swiss railway stations and SWISS flights, with delivery to selected destinations faster and more conveniently.
• AD75 Agent Discount Discounted Swiss Travel Pass (Flex) for travel agency staff and Switzerland Tourism employees at 75% reduction. Available to IATA and non-IATA travel agency staff plus one accompanying person, distributed via Switzerland Travel Centre and Rail Europe.
• Grand Train Tour of Switzerland A curated slow-travel route seamlessly connecting Switzerland's most beautiful panoramic train lines, boat routes, and mountain experiences into one comprehensive Swiss journey. Eleven itinerary options including four new travel suggestions added in 2024.
• Day Discoveries Hub-and-spoke itinerary concept launched September 2025 enabling travelers to explore Switzerland from a single base using public transport without luggage, with experiences at Interlaken, Lausanne, and Luzern. Operated as a 6-month pilot with plans for expansion.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record revenue of CHF 460.6 million in 2025 (+13%)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SWISS International Air LinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Switzerland's leading airline (part of Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance). SWISS Air Rail offers combined air and rail travel. SWISS promotes Swiss public transport as sustainable travel option to air passengers.
• Swiss Federal Railways (SBB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of Swiss Travel System AG along with Switzerland Tourism and five private railway companies. SBB is Switzerland's largest transport provider and key shareholder providing technical infrastructure (SMAPI, sbb.ch) and operational support.
• Switzerland TourismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of Swiss Travel System AG and key shareholder. Joint marketing initiatives including RF (Raod & Fill) campaign and coordinated B2C/B2B marketing efforts.
• BLS AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShareholder of Swiss Travel System AG. Swiss railway company providing regional rail services integrated into the Swiss public transport network.
• JungfraubahnencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShareholder of Swiss Travel System AG. Operates Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe attraction and regional mountain railways.
• Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShareholder of Swiss Travel System AG. Operates regional rail and bus services including connections to Zermatt.
• Rhaetian Railway (RhB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShareholder of Swiss Travel System AG. Operates the Bernina Express panoramic train route and extensive rail network in Graubünden.
• Montreux-Bernese Oberland Railway (MOB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShareholder of Swiss Travel System AG. Operates GoldenPass Express scenic railway connecting Montreux and Interlaken.
• MyClimateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss non-profit organization for climate protection. STS AG offsets CO2 emissions through MyClimate projects in Switzerland using their CO2 Calculator.
• SwisstreesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss tree planting organization. STS AG invested CHF 11,000 in tree planting projects in 2023 and CHF 10,000 in 2024 for CO2 offsetting.
• Zermatt BergbahnencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMountain railway company awarded 'Leading' status in Swisstainable program. Operates Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and Matterhorn Alpine Crossing. Sustainability pioneer investing ~CHF 1 million annually in environmental projects.
• SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) - SustainabilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwitzerland's largest provider of sustainable mobility. Generates 90% of train electricity from hydropower. 100% CO2-neutral energy procurement for stations, offices and buildings.
• Interlaken TourismminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'Day Discoveries' hub-and-spoke concept launched September 2025. E-PostBus in Interlaken operates entirely on renewable hydro-electric power.
• Lausanne TourismminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'Day Discoveries' hub-and-spoke concept launched September 2025 to extend guest stay duration.
• Luzern TourismminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'Day Discoveries' hub-and-spoke concept launched September 2025. MS Diamant on Lake Lucerne is Switzerland's first climate-neutral regular-service boat.
• Solar Cableway StaubernminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld's first battery-powered cableway relying exclusively on solar energy. Featured as sustainable public transport highlight.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• GetYourGuide: GetYourGuide is a global marketplace for tours, attractions, and experiences, including Swiss panoramic train and mountain experiences. It competes for the international visitor's pre-trip planning and in-destination activity budget that STS AG's pass products also target.
• Klook: Klook is an Asia-Pacific-led travel activities and transport platform with growing Swiss offerings. It is particularly relevant as STS AG's Asia-Pacific markets (37% of revenue, with Japan +60%) increasingly book through mobile-first platforms like Klook.

Direct peers

• Eurail (Eurail B.V.): Eurail sells multi-country European rail passes (including Swiss coverage via the Eurail Global Pass) to international travelers through travel agents and direct channels. It is the most direct comparable in pass-based wholesale distribution of European rail travel.
• Omio: Omio (formerly GoEuro) is a multi-mode European transport aggregator selling rail, bus, and flight tickets across operators. It competes with STS AG's distribution function for international travelers planning European trips involving Switzerland.
• Rail Europe: Rail Europe is a major international distributor of European rail passes and tickets (including Swiss products, where it is one of STS AG's official AD75 distribution partners). As both a partner and adjacent competitor for international rail distribution, it is a highly relevant comparable.
• Japan Rail Pass (JR Group / JTB): Japan Rail Pass markets a national pass for foreign tourists to ride JR Group trains, distributed internationally through travel trade partners. It mirrors STS AG's model of wholesaling a single national rail pass to inbound travelers.
• Trainline: Trainline is Europe's leading independent rail and coach ticket aggregator, distributing tickets from multiple operators (including SBB). It competes with STS AG for the European international traveler but operates a different retail-led, point-to-point model rather than a single national pass.

Others

• Switzerland Tourism: Switzerland Tourism is a co-founder and shareholder of STS AG and runs the consumer-facing myswitzerland.com platform. While not a direct competitor, it is a sister organization whose brand and consumer marketing overlap with Travel Switzerland's trade-focused positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Deutsche Bahn (DB Vertrieb / DB Fernverkehr): Deutsche Bahn operates the German national rail network and markets the Germany Rail Pass and similar products internationally. As a national rail operator with its own distribution arm, it is a broader incumbent comparable in international rail pass marketing.
• SNCF (TGV INOUI / SNCF Connect): SNCF operates France's high-speed and conventional rail network and sells France-focused rail products to international travelers through partners. It is comparable as a national rail operator with parallel international trade distribution ambitions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SwissTravelSystem
• Facebookfacebook.com/TravelswitzerlandOffical
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swiss-travel-system
• Instagraminstagram.com/travelswitzerland_official

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Travel Switzerland