Switzerland Meets Brazil: Exclusive event showcases details of Swiss destination.

Florianópolis, internationally recognized for its beaches and strong connection to sports like surfing, will host an exclusive event on January 15th to introduce the Swiss destination LAAX, one of the most innovative alpine resorts in the Swiss Alps, to the Brazilian market. The initiative is part of the Switzerland Meets Brazil platform, under the concept LAAX Meets Florianópolis, and promotes a cross-promotion between LAAX in Switzerland and the capital of Santa Catarina, connecting sport, nature, and contemporary lifestyle between the two destinations.

The meeting will be held at the Majestic Palace Hotel and will bring together important figures from sports, tourism, and the institutional market. Participants include Teco Padaratz, two-time world surfing champion and President of the Brazilian Surfing Confederation; surfer Marina Werneck; Claude Bravi, Director of LAAX; and Bruno Tenório, Director of Hub Pronto and Official Representative of LAAX in Brazil.

The event has the institutional support of the Brazilian Association of Travel Agencies of Santa Catarina (ABAV SC) and will feature an opening address by Thiago Bertola, President of ABAV Santa Catarina. The meeting will also include a special appearance by Swiss athlete Pat Burgener, directly from LAAX, an international reference in freestyle, reinforcing the sporting and cultural connection between Switzerland and Brazil.

Internationally recognized as a benchmark in skiing, snowboarding, and freestyle, LAAX represents a new generation of alpine destinations: modern, sustainable, creative, and deeply connected to global outdoor culture. The resort combines high-level sports infrastructure with wellness experiences, gastronomy, contemporary architecture, and lush nature—attributes that directly resonate with the Florianópolis lifestyle.

With a ski-in/ski-out concept, allowing visitors to go directly from the hotel to the slopes and return skiing, LAAX was conceived as an integrated complex, bringing together hotels, apartments, restaurants, spas, and sporting experiences in a single ecosystem. The destination also stands out for its contemporary architecture, efficient services, and Swiss quality standards.

The complex houses the Freestyle Academy, one of the most comprehensive in Europe, as well as facilities designed for families, young people, and adults who value winter sports, wellness, and fine dining. A variety of restaurants, immersive experiences, and a modern alpine lifestyle make LAAX a destination that goes beyond skiing, offering complete experiences year-round.

In the European summer, LAAX reveals a surprising side: crystal-clear lakes, nature trails, forests, rivers, and geological formations recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as mountain biking and hiking experiences for different types of travelers.

The LAAX Meets Florianópolis initiative aims to strengthen the exchange between the two destinations, promoting Florianópolis in Switzerland and LAAX in Brazil through media, content, and board sports. The project gained even more momentum after a meeting between representatives of LAAX and the Secretary of Tourism, Economic Development and Innovation of Florianópolis, Juliano Pires, reinforcing the institutional alignment between the Swiss destination and the capital of Santa Catarina.

As a follow-up to this action, the initiative also aims to bring Brazilian surfers to the LAAX region to experience snowboarding, promoting the connection between summer and winter sports, and strengthening cultural and sporting exchange between Brazil and Switzerland.

In addition to Florianópolis, the Switzerland Meets Brazil platform holds meetings in the cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, presenting LAAX to the tourism trade, athletes, sports leaders, institutions, strategic partners, and journalists from the tourism, lifestyle, sports, and specialized magazine segments.

As a highlight of the program, the event will also feature a special raffle, awarding one guest with a week's stay at the LAAX resort in Switzerland, providing the opportunity to experience firsthand the alpine lifestyle, the ski-in/ski-out infrastructure, and the experiences that make LAAX one of the most innovative destinations in the Swiss Alps.

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Image credit: Nicholas Iliano / Press release.