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Swiss tour packages becoming cheaper

Tunia Cherian George

Mumbai , Feb. 17

IF you have always yearned for a Swiss holiday, this is the time to make it come true. With Indian skies opening up and more carriers being allowed to operate in the country, airfares have come down and this is reflecting on holiday packages as well.

Swisstours, the tour and marketing arm of Swiss International Airlines, has come out with a number of holiday packages to suit varied tastes and pockets.

The packages, seven in all, began selling on February 15 and will be available tillNovember 15.

The basic package is priced at Rs 35,500 for a four-day, three-night package for one person.

This option comes with a Swiss Rail Pass for four days, which can be exchanged for a credit of $125 that can be used to book a hotel room, take a mountain excursion or even a Eurail product.

"On average, the price of our holiday packages has come down by Rs 3,000 this year," says Mr Shawn Lobo, Manager-India, Swisstours.

The capacity addition in the Indian skies, the lower airfares, the economic upturn, and growing optimism about travel, have together brought down fares, which could account for a record outbound travel numbers this year.

Switzerland, he said, has been perceived as an expensive destination, but these rates would bring the packages within the reach of a much larger section of the public.

Swisstours has twin objectives of promoting Switzerland as a holiday destination and Swiss International Airlines as well.

The company specialises in the family and incentive travel segment. Last year, it handled 5,000 customers and about 15,000 overnights.

The country as a whole attracted 2.4 lakh customers with the average stay being of three or four nights.

Besides offering packages, Swisstours also offers tailor-made holidays for passengers who would rather set their own pace on holiday.

An important reason for Switzerland's popularity, he adds, is its central location in Europe and its fame as a holiday destination.

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