A digital home for Zurich’s entire tourism sector
Sectors: Non sector-specific
Processes: Event Management, Service & Support, Marketing
References: Zürich Tourismus
How Zurich Tourism is bringing the industry together in one place with a Microsoft-based partner portal
The tourism industry thrives on strong partnerships. Zurich Tourism promotes the Zurich tourism region worldwide and works closely with numerous partner businesses. As communication across an ever-increasing number of channels became more and more complex, the organisation worked with ORBIS to develop a central, Microsoft-based partner portal that serves as a single point of entry, bringing together information, events and self-service features.
Industry: Tourism industry
Production Facilities: Zurich
Products: Promoting the city and region of Zurich as a tourist destination
Employees: 75 (+ 50 Tour Guides)
Website: www.zuerich.com
Key Takeaways
Initial situation: Information for partner businesses was scattered across numerous channels, event registrations were handled via cumbersome forms, and there was no central overview.
Solution: A central partner portal on Microsoft Power Pages as a single point of entry for news, event registrations, marketing activities and profile management, implemented with ORBIS.
Key feature: An iterative approach using clickable prototypes and early validation by partner businesses, as well as integration with the Swiss identity provider ‘discover.swiss’.
Result: The portal received a positive response even before its official launch. During a presentation at a partner event, the businesses were enthusiastic, and with dashboards and case management, the next stages of development are already being planned.
Whether it’s culture, nature or cuisine: Zurich Tourism ensures that travellers worldwide discover the diversity of the Zurich region. Around 75 staff members and some 50 freelance tour guides promote the destination in international markets. In doing so, the organisation works closely with a broad network of hotels, venues and catering establishments, which form the heart of the tourist experience.
Continuously developing digital processes
Anyone wishing to market Zurich as a destination internationally needs robust digital processes. Zurich Tourism had already adopted Microsoft Dynamics for this purpose. For just over a year, ORBIS has been supporting Zurich Tourism as a strategic partner in continuously developing the solution, optimising processes and tapping into new potential.
Day-to-day operations revealed where improvements could be made: partner businesses registered for events via cumbersome forms, registration for marketing activities regularly led to queries, and important information was scattered across various channels. As a result, there was often no central overview, and administrative procedures caused unnecessary effort.
Together, Zurich Tourism and ORBIS analysed existing processes and identified opportunities for optimisation. This involved not only the technical development of the platform, but also rethinking workflows, taking greater account of user needs and driving digitalisation forward in a targeted manner. ORBIS impressed with its in-depth expertise, palpable energy and commitment to creating something new together.
“We were looking for someone who would say of their own accord: Hey, we could do this even better. With ORBIS, we then realised that even complex processes can be approached differently,” says Catherine Ammann, former Data and Process Manager at Zurich Tourism.
Source Photo: © Christian Meixner / Zürich Tourismus
From the CRM ‘spring clean’ to a partner portal for the tourism industry
At the end of 2024, ORBIS took over the existing CRM system based on Microsoft Dynamics. Before any new features could be considered, the first priority was to put the system on a solid footing. In workshops with the various teams, ORBIS identified pain points and quick wins, tidied up data structures and ensured technical stability. In parallel, the transition from outbound marketing to real-time marketing took place, along with the introduction of managed deployments for controlled updates.
“Before we build anything new, the foundations must be right. That’s why we first tidied things up and established stability,” says Jonas Portmann, Solution Architect at ORBIS Schweiz AG.
Building on this foundation, the team tackled the central project. A partner portal on Microsoft Power Pages, which acts as a single point of entry, bringing together all relevant information, registrations and services in one place. Internal workshops were held to first define which functions the portal should cover. Zurich Tourism then invited selected partner businesses to validate the ideas externally. From the outset, a deliberate iterative approach was adopted: start small, build solidly, expand step by step.
Source Photo: © Elisabeth Real / Zürich Tourismus
The entire process was supported by a clickable prototype. ORBIS continuously updated the mock-up so that feedback was immediately visible, even before the actual development began.
The Minimum Viable Product (MVP) comprises a news page, digital event registrations, a simplified registration process for market activities, and the option to manage profiles. For the login, ‘discover.swiss’ – the identity provider established within the Swiss tourism industry – was integrated. The go-live took place at the end of August 2026.
Complex guest management for Zurich’s most important industry event
In addition to the portal, the collaboration also proved its worth in event management. With the ‘Zürich Experience’, Zurich Tourism organises one of Switzerland’s most important city tourism congresses, which has been bringing the industry together annually since 2024.
Behind the scenes, this involves complex guest management. Hundreds of personalised invitations, different access levels depending on membership status, individual codes and integration with ticketing systems all need to work together seamlessly.
The aim was to make the guest journey as pleasant and professional as possible. To this end, ORBIS developed a bespoke solution based on Microsoft technology.
The major improvements came in 2025. Since then, the solution has been easily carried over from year to year without having to reinvent the wheel each time.
“When we have meetings, we really notice that ORBIS is prepared, enthusiastic and well-organised. I think it helps the whole project when you’re working with a partner who enjoys what they do,” says Catherine Ammann.
Source Photo: © Sebastian Doerk / Zürich Tourismus
Where does the journey go from here?
Even before the official go-live, the portal received a positive response. At a presentation during a partner event, the businesses were enthusiastic and welcomed the fact that Zurich Tourism is breaking new ground.
The next steps are already being planned. Dashboards displaying key performance indicators are set to provide partner businesses with a direct overview in the future. A case management system is also being considered, through which enquiries and requests can be handled directly within the portal.
“For us, the real focus is on improving the experience for our partner businesses and creating added value for our stakeholders. We certainly aren’t short of ideas,” says Catherine Ammann.
