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Kuoni employees hold particular passion for travel, for exotic cultures and diff erent ways of life. Keen to share it with their guests, they work dedicatedly to get people’s holiday experiences just right. That means engaging in a true dialogue, accommodating their needs thoroughly, understanding what each individual person wants, and seeking an optimal solution every time. It also means keeping pace with the times, being innovative, and se ing up itineraries with due heed to current trends and changes in the contemporary mood.

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awards (selection)

World’s Leading Tour Operator kuoni group

Galileo Express Travel World Award for best “Inbound Tour Operator”

destination management india

Ministry of Tourism Award destination management india

“Best Travel Agency” for Thailand and Indochinadestination management asia pacific

Galileo Express Travel World Award for best “Outbound Tour Operator”

kuoni india

Today’s Traveller Diamond Award for “Most Successful Travel Company”

kuoni india

Best tour operator for North America, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and best specialistkuoni netherlands

Grand Travel Award for best tour operatorkuoni norway / apollo

15 awards (gold, silver and bronze) at the Travel Star Awards 2008kuoni switzerland

Pegasus Award for most trusted brand in Switzerland, category tour operatorkuoni switzerland

Travel Weekly Award for the best tour operator Far East, Pacifi c, Australia and New Zealand

and best long-haul tour operatorkuoni uk

Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Award kuoni uk / carr ier

Kuoni’s brand value increased by 22 million Swiss francs to 181 million

over the last two years.Source: Interbrand

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Last year, Kuoni went through the heady process of laying the foundations it needs to prevail as the world’s top premium-segment tour operator. The Group made one of the most comprehensive transformations in its history, totally repositioning itself with the help of a broad-based branding initiative. The result: a new cor-porate image, new corporate values, along with new products and services.

These improvements and changes all took place against a back-ground of intense debate on the future of our company, and of travel in general. The travel industry, along with many others, has been through a period of major upheaval in recent years. And travel will continue to change, evolving in various directions. These are fast-moving times, typifi ed by the steady emergence of new expectations and ideals from an ever-more demanding and selective public. For us, that means developing innovative styles of travel, presenting a yet more distinctive off ering, and pro-viding a unique service that will satisfy aspirations of some of the most discerning customers in the world. It is an extension of what our founder, Alfred Kuoni, accomplished a century ago by introducing then-uncommon service extras that would revolution-ise the travel experience.

If we are to bring off another revolution now, we should grow be er acquainted with the aspirations, wants and needs of peoplein the 21st century. So Kuoni initiated regular exchanges of views with leading fi gures in a variety of fi elds. In our Future Lab, at the recently established Getaway Council, and through part-nerships with the movers and shakers of contemporary culture,we have gazed far beyond the bounds of our own industry andextensively considered the socially signifi cant issues. All thatinput has given rise to some very diverse inspirations and ideas;these are helping to broaden our thoughts as we develop visions for the future of travel.

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Ideas Future Lab

Values Brand Personality

Dialogue Trendmonitor Travellers Ute Schumacher – Efstratia Zafeiriou

Manifesto for a new travel culture

Discernment Kuoni Concierge Service *

Prediction Kuoni Getaway Council Art Culture & sponsoring

Friend Osman Yousefzada

Symbols Redesign

Feeling Visual language

Learning Brand Campus

Lucidity Ministry of Brands

Lustre Flagship Stores

Links “The Link” employee magazine

Gi ing Kuoni gi vouchers

Dreaming Inspirations

Scenting Room fragrance

Hearing Sound

Architecture House of Brands

Smart Helvetic Tours

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Ideasfuture lab

The Kuoni Future Lab has been an epicentre of varied change and innovation at Kuoni over the past year. Set up under the management of Remo Masala, Director Corporate Branding & Marketing, Future Lab evolved from our desire to look into the future of travel from a host of viewpoints as we redesigned the Kuoni brand. Creative people, designers and thinkers from multiple countries and disciplines joined us as we lined up considerations and mapped out strategies that would achieve the results we see today. It was a lively, organic process. We formulated new corporate values and designed a new brand

image that would be consistent globally. We came up with new product lines and service off erings to express the new brand personality. Future Lab also spawned the ideas of a Brand Cam-pus and a Trendmonitor as resources for employees everywhere to grow acquainted with the new Kuoni look. Country repre-sentatives collaborated closely on everything to emerge from the Future Lab. Their input made the brand suitable for expo-sure worldwide, while acknowledging that needs diff er from one market to the next.

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perfect moments

In over a century of existence, Kuoni has developed an un-mistakeable brand personality. at personality is shaped in equal measure by the company’s illustrious past, and its fresh visions for the future of travel. Kuoni has exhaustively defi ned this “brand personality” as the basis for repositioning. Stand-ards have changed among today’s travellers; they have learned to expect more. With this in mind, Kuoni must be able to com-municate its uniqueness and outstanding stature as a travel company – clearly, globally, and consistently.

Our brand personality rests on three values: reliability, au-thenticity, passion. Kuoni’s core value is “Perfect Moments”. So on the one hand, Kuoni stands for solid, timeless values like dependability and top quality – values that have shaped the company ever since it was founded in 1906. Yet on the other hand, Kuoni is also about authentic, intense travel experiences, innovation, creativity, and passion.

We aim to off er customers the kind of dependability and pre-cision one might encounter in an exquisitely cra ed watch, complemented by expert advice similar to that given by an out-standing wine dealer, whose recommendations always hit the spot with the clientele. Equally, we seek to project an emotional appeal based on the unmistakeable charisma that stems from combining tradition with modernity. Kuoni has been a player and foremost a mover and shaker ever since modern travel got started. That has earned us something like mythical status within the industry, with our promise of a memorable jour-ney. We can deliver on that promise too, thanks to devoted em -ployees who do everything possible to transmute customers’ valued leisure time into those “Perfect Moments”. For us, a passionate approach to work means really talking with our customers, accommodating their needs thoroughly, under-standing just what each one wants, and seeking an optimal solution every time. h

Valuesbrand personality

“Perfect Moments” is our core value. at word couplet cer-tainly communicates the matchless precision that goes into planning and organising our tours, and it points up our fl aw-less service. But the other, more signifi cant angle is about the moments themselves – not the transient kind; we refer here to those enduring impressions, with a depth and intensity that go under the skin in a good way. Such moments are singular and unforge able, like experiencing a great work of art. “Per-fect Moments” blossom in the living instant. Although not a commodity to be sold, it is nonetheless possible to set the scene for experiencing one. is is what our daily work is all about; it also drives us to continually improve our products. us we blaze trails to unique peoples, scenery and situations, commu-

nicate rare information, and share our collective knowledge of the world with our guests.

“Perfect Moments” is a core value that expresses just how much Kuoni esteems its customers. Here we made a deliberate choice: to emphasise individual travel experience over stressing an aspect of our company. We have chosen a value with long-term staying power, one that will still apply when circumstances change. Our “Manifesto for a new travel culture” sets out in detail what we basically mean by “Perfect Moments” in a 21st-century context. We feel compelled by its message, both in our day-to-day business activity and in our continuing plans for the future.

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Dialoguetrendmonitor

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The Trendmonitor is Kuoni’s interactive blog. Its focus on travel scene developments enables Kuoni employees to connect with trends, brands and travel in general. The website is non-hier-archical and encourages everyone to share their knowledge, either acquired on the job or a er hours. Anyone at Kuoni can broadcast their latest news to colleagues, and post comments to other people’s blog entries. The Trendmonitor is just the place to report on new hotels and locations, write about pertinent trends in lifestyle, fashion and culture, or point out exciting brands whose image and appeal fi t well with Kuoni. The web-site motivates employees to track the latest developments, think through processes, take note of trends, and follow the travel industry from multiple angles.

Ute Schumacher is head of trend and design at D. Swarovski & Co. and art director for the magazine crystallized™ – Swarovski Elements.

luxury: The defi nition of luxury has become just as individu-alised as so much else in our society. For one person it may mean a private island, for another it could be peacefully enjoying a cup of tea, while someone else might consider it a luxury to travel the world for a year, free of fi nancial concerns. As I see it, there is no longer one generally accepted concept of luxury. All the same, I do believe that the market for health and sport related travel will continue to grow in line with a broad increase in will to keep physically fi t and feeling well. For me personally, read-ing a good book while sipping a glass of red wine would be one

working defi nition of luxury. Apart from that, I enjoy spending free moments with my children and in the company of friends.

travel: My wish for the future would be an alternative con-cept for waiting rooms and lounges in airports and train sta-tions. It is really grim to hang around for a delayed fl ight under cold fl uorescent lighting, or sit it out in a barren waiting room. Additionally I would like to see be er, more straightforward service for handling lost luggage claims (all too frequent in my experience).

hospitality: A hotel with a pleasant, personal style of a end-ing to guests makes me feel welcome and at home. I have come to prefer small, family-run hotels: o en, they will even book me into the same room on every stay.

service: Here I could imagine, say, a complimentary pick-up service from the airport, or quick and uncomplicated check-in and check-out at hotels.

design: In my view, fi xtures and fi ings should emphasise simplicity of operation – which is not incompatible with aes-thetic design. Regre ably, I o en encounter hotel rooms where the light switches and the bath taps may look fabulous, but are hardly user-friendly as a result. A return to functional design would enhance the pleasure in many a trip.

As the world’s leading premium tour operator, Kuoni caters to customers in a variety of segments. To address their diff ering expectations with the proper breadth, we steadily seek dialogue with guests in every area of the market. We learn about their wants and needs, and set great store by comments that are criti-cal of our brand and the services on off er. Ute Schumacher and

Efstratia Zafeiriou are two frequent business travellers. Their work for premium brands also gets them extensively involved with trends, design, luxury and brand consciousness, and look-ing beyond cultural borders. Each has exacting demands and very diff erent ideas of what constitutes perfection in travel – quite a challenge for a premium company like Kuoni.

Travellersute schumacher – efstratia zafeiriou

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inspir ation: When I travel, I always fi nd it enthralling to engage with a country’s people and culture. I also very much enjoy visiting religious sites and ancient temples. They refl ect much of the national culture, and inspire my own design work. That was how I found many of the new colours that I develop for crystallized™ – Swarovski Elements magazine.

future: Upcoming design will see the continued ascent of ecological infl uences, and their fusion with innovative devel-opments in high-tech. This is true for products of all kinds, because society is growing steadily more conscious of the envi-ronment, and about quality of life.

Efstratia Zafeiriou spent four years in charge of market and trend research at Audi, and is now responsible for the company’s strategic market development in China.

premium : I found it an interesting and signifi cant insight that there is barely any diff erence between a premium custom-er in China, and premium customers elsewhere in the world. There, as here, we have global citizens with comparable desires and expectations of a brand. The basic understanding of what denotes premium, brand consciousness, is the link between premium customers everywhere, regardless of nationality.

comfort: Every premium customer in the world wants com-fort, but cultural diff erences do exist. In China, the require-ments for comfort are even more far-reaching than our own – a phenomenon that is certainly linked to innate temperament,

the philosophy of yin and yang, the unconditional desire for tranquillity and wellness, and an unhindered state where everything is in fl ux.

design: I am pleased by a trend that I fi rst observed in Japan, and which over the past decade has spread to hotels around the world: a reductionist aesthetic where “less is the new more”. In other words, the opposite of classical grand hotel gilt and deca-dence. I am thinking here about that distinctly Asian, function-al, elegant atmosphere where fi ne materials and colours impart a feeling of having arrived, an ambience where guests can re-lax a er a stressful journey. In this se ing, restraint becomes a luxury that avoids being burdensome.

tact: It is so pleasant that travelling customers are increas-ingly le in peace and only addressed if they actually need something. It used to be that service employees would approach you all the time, but now this profusion of a entive intrusion has waned – thank goodness! Because as a traveller, I fi nd great luxury in the restrained approach.

individualisation: The way I imagine a premium private tour centres on all-round care and a ention. That might entail a face-to-face discussion where the tour operator enquires about my wishes, ideas and preferences, and draws up a proposal to match – then sees to organising absolutely everything, from the airport transfer to being welcomed with my favourite drink at the hotel. Essentially, the experience should be like having a good tailor, where I can supply my measurements once and always get individualised, perfect service therea er.

perfect moments: I expect a premium tour operator to of-fer perfect moments that stimulate and surprise, rather than merely satisfy, my mind. I am thinking of something like net-working / forward-thinking tours – in other words the opportu-nity to meet up with interesting people who think diff erently, with whom I can discuss the world, the future, history, topical is-sues, all in an easy-going atmosphere without the constraints of a formal conference. It is about mutual inspiration in the form of a symposium in the classical Greek sense; a sort of wef Davos for people who think outside the box. So I dream of a trip that of-fers networking opportunities while challenging the mind and the intellect – like reading a good book, but much more social.

A leading premium tour operator like Kuoni has a special in-terest in the developments that are taking place among post-modern target groups. They are the vanguard; their thrust and direction really ma er. Of course we monitor general social trends, but we must also seriously examine how the concept of “luxury” is being redefi ned at the high end. That redefi nition is progressing on many more fronts and has come a long way in recent years. The affl uent have embraced new values; trend-se ers and opinion-formers are now seeking greater depth of meaning in their activity – holidays included. They seem to be looking less at the superfi cial value of products and services, and thinking in more depth about the realm of individual ex-perience. There is a renaissance in personal values like respon-sibility, knowledge, trust, sustainability, and time.

Intensity of experience is a growing factor in the premium seg-ment, and that could signify a boost for travel as a luxury in-dustry. That is because a journey is inherently an experience – whereas other industries fi rst have to fabricate an experience around their products. It goes further than that: unlike the multitude of premium products that remain beholden to fash-ion, the journey off ers a lasting personal memory that satisfi es today’s growing desire for enduring values. So the individual signifi cance of a special journey can be on a par with, say, tak-ing ownership of a prized painting.

As individual experience grows in standing, so do the bounds of what counts as “luxury” in travelling. Luxury can involve vastly diff ering themes and personal preferences, and this is where Kuoni’s Concierge Service and bespoke travel portfolio can respond on just about any point. Yet some of those themes would seem to bear general relevance to our times, so they also merit closer a ention in a travel context. Take the public’s stead-ily rising awareness of ecological issues, of the need to protect the environment, and to eat a healthy diet. Or consider that peo-ple are more mindful of CO₂ emissions, even when on holiday. While enjoying a tender steak, they will likely also ponder how the animal was fed, and the conditions it was reared in. Back at

the hotel, they will probably take an interest in where energy supplies are sourced, and whether the towels and bedclothes were woven from bio-co on. Tour operators would be advised to keep a closer watch on another interesting development, too: the growing public desire for authenticity, for cliché-free, unadulterated experience, for the genuine, the unspoilt, the traditional. Past decades have seen travel develop into a mass phenomenon, with strictures that frequently preclude mean-ingful encounters with local peoples and cultures. Whatever contact remains can o en best be described as pastiche and playing up to stereotypes. Yet discerning travellers increasingly want to push aside the faux stuff and experience a foreign land intensely, or maybe sense a special closeness to nature as well.

It increasingly falls to Kuoni to facilitate that kind of exceptional experience by providing access to the breed of people who work passionately for their cause and are willing to leave the beaten track. These are the people who create locations with a special fl avour, who lend impetus to deserving projects, who place their signature on new agendas for hospitality. These people are open to involving others in their work and vision, so in their pres-ence one feels more like a guest than a customer. Occasionally, the personal atmosphere and closeness to such hosts can even create a subtle sense of having arrived amongst friends.

Take the Soneva Gili & Six Senses, a hotel at a breathtakingly scenic yet ecologically fragile location on the Maldives. It of-fers innovative design, outstanding comfort and an individual, personal ambience for guests, while facing up to a variety of responsibilities. The hotel has developed an intelligent envi-ronmental management strategy for water, waste and energy use, and invests a portion of sales revenue in various projects of benefi t to the indigenous population and surrounding nature. All the villas on the site were constructed from local materials, so they blend in unobtrusively with their surroundings. Guests here can rest assured of having contributed to the wellbeing of the Maldive Islanders, and certain that their holiday is no unnecessary burden on the environment – especially if they h

Manifest ofor a new travel culture

ink of some once-in-a-lifetime events: say an opportunity to watch a star chef at work, or to discuss books over lunch with a famous writer. en again, you may want to spend time with experts and learn more about the secrets of tropical rain for-ests and their delicate eco-balance, explore traditional ways of life at close quarters, or play an active part in nature conser-vation projects. Travellers’ expectations have indeed changed in recent years. ey are more involved and aware, more pro-found – which is why fulfi lling those expectations presents

such a gripping challenge for the travel industry. Travel is an ever-changing phenomenon; it moves this way and that, tracking the mood of society as a whole. Today’s predomi-nant issues and cultural focus bear directly on tomorrow’s travel culture. Kuoni has taken a long, close look at the future direction of society and travel, and formulated a “Manifesto for a new travel culture” – both as a working document to under-pin the work ahead, and to cast light on changes happening right now.

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#1Talk with people.

Kuoni takes cultural travel into a new dimension with cultimo. This is a programme for peoople who want more than book knowledge, for the seekers of a truly intimate experience in art, literature, music, architecture or haute cuisine. cultimo offers exclusive short- and long-hauultours featuring unique encounters of the kind that cannot be arranged spontaneously. cultimo tours are accompanied by recognised experts, and travellers can discuss with writers, musi-cians, chefs and winemakers about their work. For those who want to experience culture ass aliving phenomenon and above all are keen to get to know the people behind the works of art, cultimo offers unparalleled access to a stimulating world. Kuoni’s collaboration partneersinclude the Diogenes publishing house, the Tonhalle orchestra Zurich, and Baur au Lac Winne Merchants.

#2 Gocloudspo ing.

ananea is Kuoni’s programme for travel with a sense of responsibility. It appeals to people who equate luxury with a really close-up look at differ-ing ways of life, fascinating fauna and pristine scenery – considerately and in a respectful atmosphere – and finding total relaxation in harmony with nature at some of the world’s most beautiful places. Next to tours and individual travel arrangements, ananea also incorporates a selection of top hotels that operate along sustainable lines. Furthermore, ananea offers opportunities to participate pro bono as a volunteer in environmen-tal conservation projects. All our ananea travel is organised in close collaboration with recognised experts and organisations like Green Cross, PanEco and Max Havelaar.

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have exercised an option to compensate aircra emissions by paying into the environmental protection programme oper-ated by Kuoni and myclimate.

On a completely diff erent note, Kuoni has partnered with Green Cross, an environmental organisation, to organise a tour of Chernobyl in the Ukraine. There, travellers can witness at fi rst hand the a er-eff ects of a devastating nuclear reactor disas-ter on the surrounding country. But more than that, they can see how people continue about their daily business, the kind of aid they receive, and how their courage to face life endures even under the grimmest conditions. Travellers tour the der-elict ghost town of Prypiat, and the reactor itself. But they also visit social institutions, like an orphanage that receives Green Cross support. It takes this form of human contact to appreciate the true scale of the catastrophe. Encounters like these lay bare the present-day reality, such that travellers return home as subtly diff erent people. Profi ts from the tour go to Green Cross, benefi t-ing that organisation’s impor-tant work.

Next to this kind of aid, Kuoni also brokers volunteer labour by travellers wishing to spend several weeks doing unpaid work in Africa, say, actively helping out with interesting scientifi c projects and conservation pro-grammes. An internship generates a markedly deeper under-standing of social and ecological interrelationships than would a regular tour with drop-in visits to those same projects. Traveller-interns invest their own labour in the conservation of animal species, like elephants in Botswana or white sharks off the coast of South Africa. Working side by side with scientists and local helpers brings fascinating insights into an otherwise closed world, and these are among the most precious experiences that travellers bring home from such a journey. Here too, revenue from internships fl ows directly into the grass-roots projects.

For a radically diff erent yet equally intense and enduring ex-perience, travellers can go deep into the craggy mountainscape of the Abruzzi region of Italy and lodge at the Sextantio Albergo Diff uso. In a semi-abandoned hamlet dating back to the Mid-dle Ages, where just 70 residents now remain, Daniele Kihlgren has dedicated a huge amount of personal eff ort to authentically restoring the vacant houses as hotel accommodation and equip-ping them with the latest amenities. To this end he revived traditional techniques of cra smanship and used environmen-tally compatible materials. Guests can wander labyrinthine alleyways, savour the rustic Abruzzi cuisine and spend their nights in old-style, simple rooms. They soon fi nd themselves

immersed in this lost world, which Kihlgren has preserved from ruin.

A yearning for authenticity, for personal contact with interest-ing people, and for a deeper meaning to one’s own actions can fi nd other means of expression too, for example the desire for a diff erent involvement with cultural activity. There is a discern-ible trend here, apparent in the growing number of people who wish to spend their holidays doing more than passively enjoy-ing the best that visual art, literature, music, architecture and cuisine have to off er. They are also out to gain close-up experi-ence and insight behind the scenes, to acquire insider knowl-edge at fi rst hand from the top experts, and discover areas that are normally open to only a select few. The less that people feel

bound to superficial catego-ries, the less trust they place in mere labels, prices and beguil-ing packages, the more impor-tant they fi nd it to sharpen their own sense of discrimination. So what makes a wine desirable is its subjectively pleasurable taste, not the price per bo le – that it might have been purchased at a discount store simply does not ma er. Similarly, one a ends a

concert not to hear a big-name performer, but because one is moved by the music – even when the musician concerned is far from fame as yet.

A trip to the London Proms – there is nothing unusual about that. But when a player with an acclaimed orchestra joins the group, it adds a whole new dimension. A working musician contributes fascinating insights into the activity of a musical ensemble, life on tour, concert programming, the huge diff er-ences between audiences in various countries, details of the piece to be performed. It all adds up to a unique experience – equally so in the case of an exclusive visit to a writer or artist, with discussion of the creative process in a private se ing. Even a trip to a classical winegrowing region develops new meaning when a winemaker presents the fruits of his labour in person and shares secrets of the cra .

A new travel culture is emerging and, as always in its long his-tory, Kuoni wants to be part of that culture, and to shape it. Two new product lines – ananea and cultimo – already seize on predominant contemporary themes. Kuoni is set to further in-tensify its far-reaching eff orts to hold a fi nger on the pulse of present-day preoccupations. Our purpose: to mirror the spec-trum of social development in new styles of travel, so even the most discerning demographic can continue to satisfy travel as-pirations with Kuoni.

travellers’ expectations have grown in complexity,

awareness and depth.

One million dollars, all-in. at was the price paid in 1929 by Daniel Jackling, an American magnate, for a family tour of Europe and Africa under the auspices of Kuoni guide Fred N. Wagner. Consummate service and exceptional performance, above and beyond the organisation required for an ordinary holiday trip, are indeed a tradition with us. Alfred Kuoni, our founder, understood this early on. Travel was a small market in the 1900s, so to be successful he would have to address the high end and off er one-of-a-kind bespoke services to a wealthy clientele. His all-round philosophy of customer care was about

facilitating “travel that is at once comfortable, expedient, and safe”. On a practical level, that meant off ering travel accident insurance, pu ing customers’ goods and valuables into safe storage for the duration, pet-si ing, looking a er mothballed apartments and houses, forwarding correspondence and news-papers. Right from the start, Kuoni catered to an affl uent clien-tele that was willing to spend – but expected outstanding value for their money. So Kuoni rendered possible just about any mode of travel: with private tour guides or vehicles specially rented for the trip, to any destination, for any length of time.

Continuing this grand tradition of high-end, bespoke services is the Kuoni Concierge Service that launched recently. The job of the concierge is to make premium-segment travel simpler and yet more extraordinary: ensuring that complex travel arrange-ments proceed without a hitch, giving customers requisite back-ground information and insider tips, as well as pulling off the seemingly impossible. If a travel aspiration is judged in any way feasible, Kuoni will plan with the customer to make it happen.

That is where the concierge can tap in to the organised, collec-tive knowledge of Kuoni employees worldwide and our interna-

tional network: a total resource for supplying the clientele with the ho est information and insider tips on cultural happenings, restaurants, out-of-the-ordinary locations and special events. So customers get just the travel experience they want, right down to the details. The concierge can fi nd a free table at even the trendiest restaurant, or tickets to packed opera performances. Ordering a limousine, or shu ling a stressed-out business trav-eller from airport to hotel by motorcycle to save time in dense rush-hour traffi c, are all part of the job. The concierge might also act as social secretary before and a er the trip, as stand-in gardener while occupants are away, or perform errands.

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Discernmentkuoni concierge service *

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* The aircra is chartered to a group of scientists, for ge ing around fl exibly within the seemingly endless expanse. Thanks to the concierge, the travellers could join them for a few days and observe their work …

* The tour had an upbeat beginning a few days ago in the capital, which was hosting a fascinating festival of youth bands from all over the country …

* Up in the air is a particularly good vantage point for observing the vast migrating herds …

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* The concierge has cooked up a special surprise for her birthday dinner out on the steppe with a clan prince …

* To this day there are still places one will not fi nd in any travel catalogue …

* The National Park director spent two days personally travelling with his two guests through the wildnerness.

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Predi ionkuoni getaway council

What is preoccupying the avant-garde artists of today – and vast social circles tomorrow? What constitutes luxury here in the 21st century? What needs are developing among the world’s most discerning customers – and how might a travel company respond to them? Can travel draw inspiration from innovative fashion design? And: what is the tie-in between a provider of premium services and an ethnologist?

Kuoni initiated the Getaway Council as a forum for wide-rang-ing and intense discussion of issues like these. It establishes a new level of exchange among futurologists, opinion leaders in science and business, and icons of fashion, lifestyle, arts and culture. The Getaway Council examines the present and the fu-ture from a variety of perspectives. It considers contemporary issues like the modern-day perception of luxury, current and foreseeable developments in society, culture, and what people want. It also extends philosophies and develops visions for the future of travel. The point of this exercise is not so much

to obtain concrete results that can be immediately applied to the operating business. Rather, it is about staying receptive to forward-looking innovation and pondering over tomorrow’s world, today. The Getaway Council was established as a per-manent body, where panellists regularly convene in diff ering constellations. The Council presents its fi ndings in specially produced publications that will also preserve the experimental spirit of these gatherings for future reference.

The Getaway Council fi rst convened on 20 May 2008, to mark the opening of Kuoni’s Flagship Store in Zurich. At the meeting, Kjell Nordström, Nigel Barley, Chris Sanderson, Nadine Stri -ma er, Peaches, Henrik Vibskov and Remo Masala discussed luxury and travel. A second gathering took place on 18 Septem-ber 2008 at the Crystal Palace in London’s Hyde Park, with a dif-ferent roll-call of names: Claus Sendlinger, Osman Yousefzada, Hilary Koob-Sassen and Hans Ulrich Obrist.

zur ich / london: Just like art, music and fashion, travel culture is an expression of the times. Kuoni has steadily pio-neered and shaped this culture during the previous century, so it is a tradition to which we now feel more strongly commit-ted than ever. Yet if we are to continue meeting our lo y claim we must correctly anticipate the future through a genuine

understanding of present-day social change, agenda-setting issues and popular preoccupations. This entails identifying latent needs, foreseeing social developments, apprehending the spirit of the times and, most importantly, picking up on the cultural innovations happening elsewhere and using them as inspiration for devising new styles of travel.

peaches

kjell nordströmhenr ik vibskov

chr is sanderson nadine str ittmatter

nigel barley

claus sendlinger

osman yousefzada

hilary koob-sassen

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Nothing is simple anymore.

nigel barley

We are selling rare things.

nigel barley

Maybe random travelling would be a good idea.

kjell nordström

Will we redefi ne travelling, do you think?Oh, constantly. I think we do it every day. I think our sense of movement and our sense of passage through time demands a constant change of our sense of what travel means.

chr is sanderson

In the age of the internet, is there still the need for travel agencies?

They are gatekeepers. That’s the role that they play. That’s back to relationships.

chr is sanderson

Our society is undergoing a value shi at the moment. The importance of “so factors” such as quality of life and well-being is growing along with a re-discovery of simple, human, even hum-ble values. Thus, the human with all his ethical, emotional and social potential is taking centre stage within the spheres of industry and commerce. Ultimately, this will propel the entire hospitality industry forward. Hotels need to be pre-pared – the future is now!

claus sendlinger

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Travel is all about trying on hats that you don’t usually wear; tryingon new identities.

remo masala

Luxury is a feeling of homecoming.

nadine str ittmatter

Soon we’ll be able to travel to the moon – but can we travel within ourselves?

nadine str ittmatter

Travel experiences need no seasonal upgrade.

remo masala

Where do we fi nd luxury in 21st century?

I think what’s interesting is that when you move beyond product and you start to talk about experience, that’s when you realisewhere true luxury lies. It isn’t about a hand-bag and it isn’t even necessarily about the journey. It’s o en about the moment in time and, I think, even separating the journey out of that, to being in the present, to not thinking about where you are going or where you’ve just been but being able to be right there and enjoying that particular moment – wherever you are – is the real key. There is no product a ached to that!

chr is sanderson

And what else would you want in life other than to be free?

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Artculture & sponsoring

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london, october : Kuoni is on the lookout for inspir-ing cross-fertilisation opportunities. We fi nd them not only in a discussion forum like the Getaway Council, but also through sponsorship of contemporary art and culture. Kuoni is moving in a new direction as a global provider of services, with a travel off ering that breaks out of the traditional mould. Our direction also grows apparent through collaborations with partners who shape the landscape of today’s cultural identity, who share Kuo-ni’s values, claims and passion, and who, like Kuoni, think and operate “outside the box”. Our involvement with Osman Yousef-zada, Hans Ulrich Obrist and the Serpentine Gallery in London

brings us closer still to the movers and shakers of a global cul-ture. Not only is this global culture a proliferating element of the world we live in, it also opens new dimensions of travel. At the same time, these partners share Kuoni’s respect for the world’s diversity, its ethnic idiosyncrasies and traditions, all of which are worth passing on and preserving. One of Kuoni’s para -mount concerns is to initiate cultural exchange through travel abroad, and foster an atmosphere where contemporary culture can develop freely. Progress among societies, and moving our own business forward, only really becomes possible in such a climate of openness, creativity and cross-border interaction.

One of the most important international events to take place last year was the Serpentine Gallery Manifesto Marathon, held in London on 18 and 19 October. Conceived and directed by Hans Ulrich Obrist, it was a concentrated landmark state-ment of artistic and philosophi-cal freedom. Kuoni supported the event, which took place in the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2008 designed by Frank Gehry, a temporary structure built in London’s Hyde Park.

Just a stone’s throw away from Speakers’ Corner, that legend-ary shrine to free expression of opinion, an assembly of top-f light artists, thinkers, film-makers and architects spent two days presenting their manifesto for the 21st century. The uncon-strained openness of Frank Geh-ry’s pavilion architecture made an ideal se ing for this event, a space to unfurl a wealth of positions and pointed statements, creative visions, and diff ering views of our future: by turns smart, humorous, apprehensive, and hopeful.

More than 50 protagonists made their mark on the marathon, among them well-known, infl uential fi gures like Vivienne

Westwood, Yoko Ono, Marina Abramović, Gilbert & George, Eric Hobsbawn, Agnès Varda and Jonas Mekas. A covey of younger, internationally famous artists were also present, in-cluding Tino Sehgal, Taryn Simon and Terence Koh. The breadth

of subject matter equalled the breadth of presentation styles: from crisply articulated talks, through ambiguous poetic word-play, to theatre pieces and per-formances.

The Serpentine Gallery Manifes-to Marathon was an impressively intense exposition of 21st-centu-ry hopes, expectations, postula-tions, and desires by some of the leading artists, writers, fashion designers, musicians and histo-rians of our time, gathered to-gether in a unique atmosphere of free expression. Stances ranged

from innovative thoughts on arts teaching, through general questions about perception, the future of architecture and art’s fundamental role in civilisation, to pressing issues of social responsibility, sustainable commitment to the environment, future modes of coexistence between humankind and other species, and novel considerations of the human dimension in various areas. Yet for all this diversity, certain leitmotifs were h

kuoni, like its partners,

thinks “outside the box”.

apparent throughout the two-day event: environmental con-servation and its challenges, responsibility of action, toler-ance, openness, trust.

Take Agnès Varda, Grande Dame of French cinema and legendary exponent of the Nouvelle Vague. Costumed as a potato, she urged listeners to pay greater respect to foodstuff s (“Let’s eat diff erently with less choice of food”) and called for progress to be moder-ated by a moment’s pause to refl ect on the essence of things, as a counterweight to growing destruction and indiff erence in how we treat the world. Indeed, nature under threat was an omnipresent theme during the two days in London. Vivienne Westwood, former “Queen of Punk” and Britain’s top fashion designer, pointed to rain forest conservation as a major chal-lenge. She also emphasised the eminent role that art can play in providing a footing, a sense of direction, an aid to understand-ing the world, especially in these diffi cult times. Rasheed Araeen was one who viewed the person of the artist as obligated not only to creativity, but also to addressing the world’s problems through action. In similar vein, Barbara Steveni contended that artistic creativity is vital to any civilised society. (“That society is starved if creative people are kept out of institutions.”)

Loving, tolerant coexistence still fi gures large in the dreams and desires of many artists. Fritz Haeg, for example, lent ani-mals a voice as he formulated their notional wish for consid-erate treatment by urban dwellers. The message of love found its most arresting expression in a memorable performance by Yoko Ono: tiny pocket lights were distributed among the audi-ence so they could fl ash the personal message “I Love You” in Morse code to the citizens of the world, a er which she invited those assembled in the pavilion to dance with her to the strains of “Give Peace a Chance” – an event of rare intensity.

On the architectural front, Rainier de Graaf, partner of Rem Koolhaas at the Offi ce for Met-ropolitan Architecture (oma), formulated a manifesto of sim-plicity calling for fairness, honesty and greater social re-sponsibility. And Tino Sehgal, celebrated exponent of non-ob-jective art, expressed his hope that our society will increasingly liberate itself from a achment to

artefacts. He would like to see people growing in sophistication, more focused on their own personal experience than on accu-mulating objects as a means to an identity. (“We should bring back refinement, constructing yourself, not just the object. I hope the 21st century will be about bringing these refi nements to people en masse.”)

One development became apparent from all these distinct mani-festos: a trend away from modernistic rigidity, o en framed as brutal and mechanistic, towards a new simplicity based on hu-man values. Thus: don’t exploit the environment; live in har-mony with it. Don’t be a slave to ego; strive to be independent. Don’t fi ght your neighbour; live together in peace. Don’t be seduced by hollow allure; seek content and information. Don’t obsess about material goods; cherish the value of experience. As a congress for diversity, where disparate viewpoints could stand side by side and communicate on an equal footing, the Serpentine Gallery Manifesto Marathon was itself a grandiose embodiment of this ethos.

Considered in toto, it is clear that Kuoni’s “Manifesto for a new travel culture” is in many respects congruent with these devel-opments, and outlines a future for travel that is closely relat-ed to the values, desires and aspirations of humankind in the 21st century.

the manifesto marathon is a concentrated

expression of artistic and philosophical freedom.

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Celebrated by “US Vogue” magazine as the “reinventor of the Li le Black Dress”, Osman Yousefzada is one of the most inter-esting fashion designers at work today. Yousefzada worked in the fi nancial industry before starting a second career as a cou-turier, and now draws much of his inspiration from the cloth-ing of other cultures. Underlain by profound understanding and – especially – due respect, Yousefzada’s collections allude to Burmese traditional garb, Buddhist temple sculpture and the outfi ts worn by matadors, without ever falling prey to fashion clichés. Yousefzada delivers outstanding proof that looking be-yond borders is fascinating inspiration for the creative process.

His styles express tolerant associations among disparate cul-tures whose individuality, blended with other traditions, a ain wholly new values of their own.

Osman Yousefzada and Kuoni meet each other in a spirit of re-spect and empathy for our world’s diversity. Thus, fashion and travel have forged an ideal alliance that is fruitful on both sides. Collaboration began with Yousefzada’s London Fashion Week show at the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park on 19 September 2008, which was sponsored by Kuoni. Furthermore, Osman Yousef-zada is a member of the Kuoni Getaway Council.

“I love taking shapes and colour from diff erent cultures, and applying that to the disciplines of English tailoring. The result creates a fusion, which belongs to everyone and yet is still some-thing new. Therefore travelling, seeing and experiencing new

cultures and surroundings is so important for me when search-ing for inspiration. Books, the internet and museums are all amazing tools, but nothing can compare to seeing clothes and costumes being worn in reality, and in their own environment.”

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Friendosman yousefzada

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Symbolsredesign

Our completely new corporate image expresses the multi-faceted changes we have implemented and the high bar that we have set for ourselves. Now, for the fi rst time, Kuoni is

speaking the same language all over the world. The modernised corporate image comprises a new logo, totally updated visuals, and a uniform design for catalogues.

We started by redesigning the logo. From 2008, a contempo-rary-looking signature replaces the familiar globe as the face of Kuoni. Metadesign, one of the world’s top branding fi rms, came up with the new look: it builds on the old-style le ering, thus continuing the grand Kuoni tradition, while also pointing ahead. An appealing contrast of clear-cut delineation with forms suggestive of movement adds fresh dynamism and passion to the logo. Kuoni’s catalogues and stationery were also redesigned along similar lines – clearly ar-ranged, using a slimmed-down, restrained pale e of colours and totally new graphic metaphors.

These elements complement each another to establish a vi-sual language that is both high-class and authentic, with a self-assured elegance that will appeal to discerning custom-ers who appreciate picking up on the spirit of the age during their travels as well. The travel industry has seen nothing like this before. For Kuoni too, this entailed a huge transition. Yet for the fi rst time in our history, we have set the stage for po-sitioning Kuoni as a global brand; one that communicates the same values, strengths and features, along with the same brand promise, worldwide.

Right from the start, we involved countries everywhere in the

extensive redesign process. We analysed and discussed at length to sound out national needs and idiosyncrasies, to arrive at a de-sign that was right for everyone. The countries may have parted with some of their independence, but to compensate they have gained in profi le: they can now appeal to customers from a po-

sition of membership in a world-wide brand constituency, and so benefi t from the strength of the brand as a whole.

We always aimed to give indi-vidual countries the maximum independence possible within a global branding eff ort. So for all that standardisation, the countries still have latitude to pursue national traits and tradi-tions: take our 70:30 rule, which

allows freedom in the amount of text and the ratio of text to illustration, in the way our colour system is used, and in the catalogue structure – all within specifi ed guidelines. The result: catalogues that have thoroughly diff erent characters, and yet clearly express our core brand philosophy.

For employees worldwide to identify with our values requires a coordinated eff ort on a coordinated brand; of that we are quite certain. We are equally certain that the eff ort will induce the motivation and energy necessary for moving forward, with the Kuoni brand as an embodiment of 21st-century spirit.

a high-class, globally consistent corporate look and

feel in keeping with the spirit of the times.

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Kuoni’s new visual language also sets benchmarks, due to its unusually high quality and the sophisticated aesthetic of its travel, lifestyle and portrait photography. Customers need only study one of our catalogues and they will acquire a deeper understanding of the country concerned, distance themselves from the standard clichés, and – most of all – catch the travel bug. Accordingly, Kuoni eschews run-of-the-mill postcard views and instead presents images of everyday life, portraits of local people, buildings and scenery photographed from unfa-miliar angles, unknown beauty, handicra work, hidden-away restaurants and compelling details. Images of actual travellers and popular national places of interest will continue to feature of course, but viewed from surprising perspectives and with a diff erent display emphasis. Furthermore, the new visual lan-guage conveys an impression of the peerless service and con-venience that comes from travelling with Kuoni.

Feel gvisual language

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For guests to truly experience those “Perfect Moments” prom-ised by Kuoni, and for us to gain consistent, eff ective exposure for our brand, employees must appreciate our cosmos of values and allow that appreciation to guide them in their jobs. Because for corporate values to be genuinely meaningful, they have to be practiced for real. Our actions in turn infl uence customers to perceive the Kuoni brand in a positive light.

While Kuoni’s Getaway Council scouts out what customers will be wanting next, our Brand Campus is right now familiarising employees worldwide with the new corporate image, our new products, ideas, visions, goals and values, and what the pub-lic expects diff erently these days. That will give our staff the

wherewithal for a lively, productive dialogue with customers, and maintain their passion and dedication to conceiving yet more “Perfect Moments”.

But communication at Brand Campus is far from a one-way street, so what we also have here is a key tool for innovation. Here, anyone at Kuoni can present a suggestion or idea, and maybe help us bring the brand forward. We have accumulat-ed more than 160 good proposals for improvements and new products so far, and the fi rst of these have already been imple-mented. Brand Campus is a valuable way for Kuoni to grow even be er acquainted with employees, and to work collaboratively on shaping our business future – “We are Kuoni”.

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we are kuoni.

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The Ministry of Brands is an online tool for use in-house, which provides a straightforward means of giving the Kuoni brand a consistent look anywhere in the world. All employees can access this resource for focused information on the content of the Brand Campus, and Kuoni’s corporate design guidelines at varying levels of detail. From here they can also download templates, logos and images to use in their own work. In future, marketing employees in various countries will also be able to have stationery items like invitations, business cards and fl yers produced automatically. That not only ensures correct design

in keeping with the brand, it also makes production of printed ma er cheaper and more effi cient overall. In addition, the Min-istry of Brands provides an upload platform where any kind of printed ma er may be submi ed for another prepress check-up on its design quality and coherence. That makes the Ministry of Brands an important tool, and one that is particularly help-ful through the fl edgling period of the repositioned brand. It provides a means to sharpen brand sensibilities among our em-ployees and prevent design misunderstandings.

Lucid yministry of brands

Just booking a tour at one of the new Kuoni Flagship Stores is already a special experience. For a premium service operator like Kuoni, it was most important that selected retail offi ces be outfi ed as locations that project the uniqueness of the travel experience on off er. The use of high-grade materials like pre-cious woods and bronze, the subtle presence of a newly-created Kuoni room fragrance, the art on show from various countries; all of these combine for an exceptional ambience that is unlike anything else around in the travel sector. This refi ned, inviting atmosphere provides the appropriate se ing for si ing down

to plan the ultimate in individual travel arrangements. The Flagship Stores already opened in Zurich, London, Manchester, Mumbai and Paris set new standards and put Kuoni in a clearly separate ballpark from the ever-more debased mass market. At a Flagship Store, customers can experience their fi rst “Perfect Moments” even before they leave home.

left kuoni, flagship store, bellevue, zur ich r ight kuoni flagship store, kensington, london

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Lust reflagship stores

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“The Link” is produced with and for employees; our people o en get an opportunity to express themselves in detail within the magazine’s pages. Each issue has a particular thematic focus. Like the Trendmonitor, “The Link” covers in-house as well as external topics – travel and lifestyle news, what’s new at Kuoni, events of special interest to em ployees. Beyond general themes like these, we also wanted to address individual countries and business areas. So there are now other maga-zines fl anking “The Link”, like “The Swiss Link” for Kuoni employees in Switzerland, “The India Link” for em-ployees in India and “The Destination Link” for people working in Kuoni Destination Management.

But “The Link” is still the hub that brings together all the coun-tries in Kuoni’s world, gives employees a global sense of belong-ing, and strengthens their identifi cation with the new Kuoni. “The Link”, like our other internal communication media, thus propagates a central philosophy that fi gured large in the rede-sign of our brand – “We are Kuoni”.

With its open structure, sophisticated page design and crisp, to-the-point articles and interviews, plus a high standard of

photography, the new-look employee magazine is an informative as well as entertaining read, not just for Kuoni employees themselves but also for their friends and families.

Continuing from our approach to the new logo design, we also felt it was im-portant to have top-fl ight, internation-ally seasoned experts involved in the redesign of our employee magazine. Herbert Winkler, one of the world’s most celebrated designers of lifestyle magazines, created the new look for “The Link”.

Herbert Winkler rose to prominence largely through his revo-lutionary design work for “Wallpaper*” magazine, one of the most infl uential publications to emerge in the last decade. It was the fi rst magazine of its genre to establish a high-level un-ion of travel, design, art, architecture and fashion. From there “Wallpaper*” developed into an icon that not only documented the spirit of the age, but also anticipated it on occasion.

Kuoni’s employee magazine “Link” was re-titled “The Link” in 2008. With the new title came a change of editorial concept and of visual appearance as well. Vienna-based designer Herbert

Winkler conceived the new, contemporary layout for our quar-terly magazine, which is published in three languages (German, English, French).

L ks“the link” employee magazine

herbert winkler

Gi ingkuoni gift vouchers

give tomorrow’s memories, today: New Kuoni gift vouchers allow a tour to be packaged just as exquisitely as a piece of fine jewellery, ready for presentation as a valuable off ering to the family or a good friend. Now, the special worth of a Kuoni tour is something that can be experienced even before departure.

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nothing is mor e pleasan t than the sense of having arr ived: “Inspirations” features small, independ-ently owned hotels with personal charisma and one-of-a-kind atmosphere that guests will surely fi nd enchanting. The opera-tors are passionate about hospitality, and accomplished at creat-ing a special ambience. Unusual design, exceptionally friendly personnel, harmonious details, regard for local traditions, architecture that harmonises with natural surroundings – all

these and more go to ensure accommodation with a truly dis-tinctive character.

The selection covers hotels all over the world. Many are in the luxury bracket, but more modest establishments and some real insider tips are also included. There are no categories here be-cause ultimately, only one question ma ered: is this a hotel one would recommend to best friends?

Dreaminginspirations

take in the scent of the world’s abundance: Just as foreign lands are there to be experienced with all the senses – now, so is Kuoni. We have created a contemporary, luxu-rious room fragrance to complement our new image. Its rich, oriental note conjures up the magic of faraway places while also expressing Kuoni’s exclusive character and urbane elegance. Aromas like Iranian saff ron, spicy cardomom, Moroccan rose and sumptuous Bourbon vanilla intertwine and unfurl into an overall impression of sophistication and harmony that reveals fresh nuances at every encounter.

Scentingroom fragrance

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Hearingsound

the intimate sound of tr anquillity: Kuoni has commissioned special music that renders homage to the beauty of the travel moment. It plays in Kuoni retail offi ces everywhere and changes character according to the weather and time of day. The easy, airy sound incites yearnings while at the same time conveying a sense of security.

Repositioning the Kuoni master brand also entailed reviewing the Kuoni brand portfolio as a whole, along with interdepend-encies existing between subbrands and the master brand. Each one’s specific qualities, values, characteristics, promise and target groups were examined according to various criteria; this established clear relationships between a given brand and the Kuoni parent brand. The next move will be deciding how to ex-press this relationship within the framework of the brand name and image: either retain the brand name as-is, turn it into an extension or off shoot of the Kuoni brand, or integrate it. This restructuring process is still in progress and when complete, it will be possible to make broad-based use of the manifold syn-ergies that arise in a wide-ranging brand family, and to fully exploit the brands’ collective potential.

Kuoni Destination Management is a major brand within the Group. It has already been repositioned as an extension of the Kuoni brand, and is itself the parent of other brands. The brand was defined in thorough detail, with new values and a new visual language derived from Kuoni’s own up-market image. It expresses values of dependability and high quality at Destina-tion Management, as well as the business unit’s body of tradi-tion, its local roots in many countries, and global perspective. “Explore” is the brand nucleus: it points up the open worldview and spirit of discovery that prevail among a global employees who work continually to acquire an even be er grasp of diff er-ent countries, their peoples and idiosyncrasies, fi nd out what’s new, and venture into uncharted territory.

Arch ecturehouse of brandshouse of brands

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Travel with style and class that is also aff ordable, yet without sacrifi cing quality, comfort and good design – that has become the Helvetic Tours promise to customers since the brand was repositioned in 2008. Price reductions, many new four- and fi ve-star off erings, a discount scheme – they all deliver on the promise, which is strikingly communicated through the com-pany’s new, upmarket image. The changes at Helvetic Tours were made to accommodate lo ier expectations among tourists in the tourists segment. h

Smarthelvetic tours

Look around many areas of soci-ety today, and it is apparent how lifestyle is growing in aesthetic sensibility. People are looking out more for quality and good design in reasonably priced products, too. Big-name fash-ion labels, coff ee shops, hotels – today’s top sellers are successful hybrids of cheap and chic. All over the place, dictums of premium and luxury design can be observed crossing over into the mass market. That in turn breeds an even more discerning circle of customers – here is a developmental trend that will continue for years to come.

In a broad-based response to this movement, the Kuoni Future Lab defi ned a new set of corporate values for Helvetic tours and came up with a new, upgraded corporate image. Helvetic Tours appeals to the average holidaymaker who regards the best sea-son of the year with unaff ected expectancy and deserves to be given a carefree time – be it on a city tour, at a resort & spa, or simply on holiday with the family. Yet Helvetic Tours strives to off er guests maximum quality and safety, the greatest possible comfort and the best service, in keeping with its claim: “Noth-ing is too good for ordinary people!”

Helvetic Tours also has a new corporate image to match, at once

sophisticated and emotional. The new logo sits there like a red sun, orbited by a dynamic halo of energy that carries strong personal impact. Its circularity suggests our world, as well as expressing destinations far and wide, and the feeling of freedom

affi liated with travel. The association of white cross with red background – Helvetic, indeed – stands as a symbolic seal of safety and trust.

The photography for the redesigned visual language depicts contented people in relaxed se ings: the epitome of carefree, happy holidays, yet not necessarily tied to conventional role models. Character-wise, the imagery is romantic, playful, easy-going, sensual, and genuine; the frame’s open composition provides space for accommodating the viewer’s personal projec-tions and notions of holiday bliss. Simultaneously, a restrained, monochrome aesthetic elevates the subject’s here-and-now ease to a more sophisticated plane. The monochrome imagery and the powerful red of the logo also play off each other for added eff ect. These colour opposites, plus the contrast of a crisp visual to the deliberately imprecise, somewhat hand-drawn circle of the logo, project an image that is at once self-contained, memo-rable, and a ention-grabbing in a classy way.

“nothing is too good for

ordinary people!”

This Annual Report is also available in German.Der Geschä sbericht ist auch in deutscher Sprache erhältlich.

published byKuoni Travel Holding Ltd.Corporate CommunicationsNeue Hard 7CH-8010 ZurichP +41 (0) 44 277 43 63F +41 (0) 44 272 39 91www.kuoni-group.com

designStephan Beisser, Julia Hörbrand, Anna Döppl, Büroecco

photogr aphyClaus Brechenmacher & Reiner Baumann | Museum of Design Zurich, Designcollection, Franz Xaver Jaggy | Jon Bergman | Mark Blower and the Serpentine Gallery | Karl Holzhauser | Thomas Kalak

text & contentRasmus Kleine Remo Masala, Kuoni

project leadSimon Marquard, Kuoni