SkyAlps · London to Bolzano
Making London the beginning of the journey to South Tyrol
SkyAlps entered the UK without the recognition or budgets of a major carrier. ASA put the new route, airline and airport on the map by using the airline as part of a wider story in Bolzano and beyond.
The property and moment
SkyAlps launched a direct UK route to Bolzano in 2023. It offered British travellers a different way into South Tyrol, but both the airline and airport were unfamiliar in a market dominated by established carriers and other well-known Alpine gateways.
The communications task therefore had two parts: introduce SkyAlps, and give people a reason to choose the region it served. Bolzano’s small airport became an advantage. Arriving closer to the mountains meant less of the journey happened after landing.
AGREED AIM
Build UK awareness of SkyAlps and its London–Bolzano route, while presenting direct access as a reason to choose South Tyrol. Work began in 2023.
CONDITIONS
SkyAlps entered with lower recognition, budget and frequency than major carriers. South Tyrol was also less familiar to many British Alpine travellers.
The case we made
People choose a destination before they choose a flight. ASA therefore made the route part of a wider South Tyrol story, connecting it to skiing, wellness, hiking, cycling, food, wine, family travel and the Dolomites.
That approach also opened the story beyond winter. Long weekends and shoulder-season itineraries could work with the route schedule, while ASA’s regional relationships connected the airline to hotels, tourism organisations and experiences on the ground.
What ASA did
ASA developed the UK PR strategy, the direct-access narrative and the editorial programme around it. We arranged press trips, built destination-led itineraries and worked with journalists and specialist creators across travel, wellness, cycling, fitness, food, wine and adventure.
The programme also included partnerships and direct consumer activity. SkyAlps became a main sponsor of The London Snow Show, while hotel and tourism partners helped create travel propositions around the flight dates. A later phase included selected paid media and airline advertising campaigns.
IN HOUSE / PARTNERS
ASA led UK strategy, stories, media and creator relations, trips, partnerships and paid campaigns. SkyAlps supplied flights and operational information; regional partners hosted the destination.
REVIEWED
ASA continues to review its strategy on an ongoing basis and in line with seasonal activations.
What happened
The programme produced national coverage, targeted trips, creator collaborations, destination itineraries and consumer-facing activity. A Sunday Times feature on the inaugural journey made the central argument tangible: flying into Bolzano reduced the distance between arrival and the mountains.
The work has since developed from a route launch into an ongoing airline and destination programme. The airline has since increased its flight frequency in and out of London.
CONTRIBUTION
ASA built the UK communications programme and connected the route to a regional network. The service itself and South Tyrol’s destination offer supplied the reason to travel.
What came next
The focus broadened from the launch route to what travellers could do after landing. Wellness, cycling, hiking, food, wine, family travel and shoulder-season breaks gave the programme subjects throughout the year and connected the airline more closely to the region it serves.