Direct contact with guests at the Tourist Centre counter, organising and running media trips, looking after the Instagram and Facebook social media channels, helping with events, bookkeeping and much more. The work at a tourism organisation is varied. And so the apprentices at Jungfrau Region Tourismus AG (JRT) also enjoy a varied training programme. Here they talk about their everyday working life. Today we let Dennis Menoia have his say. The 19-year-old from Wengen is training to become an HGT E-Profile merchant. He is in the second year of his apprenticeship and tells us about his work in the Sales department at the head office in Interlaken, where he helps to organise media trips from A to Z, among other things.

The Sales department at Jungfrau Region Tourismus AG is responsible for selling the destination. The team consists of market managers and one apprentice each. The task of the market managers is to cultivate our markets. As an apprentice, I support the team in all tasks. One of the main tasks of the sales department is to organise media and study trips.

A platform for the Jungfrau Region

A media trip is a trip through the Jungfrau Region requested by a newspaper, TV station, radio station, blogger or influencer. An example: TV station XY wants to produce a programme about car-free villages in Switzerland. They would like to spend a few days filming in the Jungfrau Region with a camera crew. As a destination, we are therefore asked by the broadcaster to provide hotel accommodation, mountain railway tickets, meals, local guides, special recommendations and other programme items. In return, we as a platform receive a television programme about the region, which is broadcast publicly.

A study trip works in a similar way. Travel agencies sell holidays to their customers. For example, skiing holidays in the Jungfrau Region. In order to advise interested parties perfectly, a travel consultant should be as familiar as possible with our region. That's where the study trip comes in. So the travel agency asks if we can put together a suitable programme for them. In return, we get another platform in their travel catalogue or during the on-site consultation, which brings us guests to the Jungfrau Region.
My job as an apprentice is to plan such trips. The market manager comes to me with an enquiry - and I get to work. I try to organise a hotel that meets the wishes of the participants. As soon as the hotel confirms the reservation, I start working on a first draft of the programme. I then send this to the participants. If they agree, I start planning the details of the programme. If the green light is given from all sides, the media or study trip takes place.

Accompanying a media trip

An example: Last autumn I was able to plan, organise - and even accompany - a media trip from A to Z. An American travel TV station, accompanied by a guide from Switzerland Tourism, wanted to film a report in the Jungfrau Region. The crew, a camera team and the host of the show stayed overnight in Grindelwald. Before arriving, they expressed the wish to film a tour of the village of Grindelwald on the day of arrival. So I organised this in collaboration with Grindelwald Tourism. Among other things, they asked for a local guide. I was there myself and got to know the group. Super cool and easy-going people. We got on really well straight away. They had a lot to say about all their filming locations in Switzerland. And they had lots of questions about Grindelwald and the region, which I answered as well as I could. Then we set off with the guide, the fully equipped camera crew and the host on the historical, informative tour. This usually takes about an hour, but with a film crew... We were on the road for around 3.5 hours until all the scenes and interviews were in the can as requested. It was worth the effort, the crew was happy with the footage - which in turn made me happy. We exchanged our coordinates so that they could contact us as soon as the film was published. Then we said goodbye and I made my way home at around 6 pm. But I didn't just visit Grindelwald, I also travelled to Wengen, Mürren and Lauterbrunnen with media people in the Jungfrau Region.

I also remember a photographer (influencer) for whom I put together a programme. The reason for this is that he then published mega great pictures on Instagram. I don't want to withhold this one of the Eiger from you. An incredibly good picture.

A varied working day

As an apprentice, it's extremely exciting to plan such trips independently - or even to take part in them. I'm always out of the office from time to time - a good change from everyday office life. I will always have fond memories of my time in the Sales department. The organisational aspects, communication with partners from Switzerland and abroad and the opportunity to present the Jungfrau Region to many people from all over the world make my working day varied and never boring.

Jungfrau Region Tourismus AG offers two apprenticeships every year. During the three-year HGT E-Profile apprenticeship, the trainees work for one and a half years at the head office in Interlaken (marketing/accounting) and in the tourist centres (Grindelwald and either Meiringen or Mürren).