The Swiss like to describe the stunning beauty of their Alps as “nature in the raw,” but to visitors the lush green, scenic rolling hills and mountains of Switzerland and the fresh air they can breathe in here, is nature at its most beautiful.
So it is not surprising that when showcasing the unique appeal of their perennially attractive tourism destination, Jurg Schmid, Director of Switzerland Tourism, proudly says that for its pristine natural landscapes, a recent Global Brand Index Survey ranked his country No. 1 on nature and No. 3 on authenticity.
He was addressing a group of 140 international journalists from 33 countries in a yet another charm offensive to showcase Swiss tradition, culture and hospitality to the rest of the world.
The locale he has chosen couldn’t be more beautiful; we are at the top of the Hoher Kasten, a mountain in the Appenzel Alps, overlooking the Rhine. It is about 1,900 metres above sea level and easily reached through a scenic cable car ride.
The air is crisp and cool, the rolling hills lush green and gorgeous. At the revolving restaurant, as we enjoy the best of delicacies made with local cheese and hazelnuts and the freshest of delicious fruits, washed down with locally made wine, it is easy to get drunk, more than the wine, on the panoramic view that unfolds.
Right from the morning I’ve been watching with admiration the manner in which the entire media visit was organised. To receive at the Zurich airport as many as 140 journalists — not the easiest of groups to handle — transfer them through two train rides to the charming town of Appenzell, and check them into various hotels, as thankfully the mega matchbox hotels of the bigger cities are totally missing here, is no mean task. It is done with élan, grace and near perfection efficiency.
Apparently in the larger Appenzell region, all of 172 sq. km., there are as many cows as people to about 16,000 of each. This little region, with 30 hotels and 20 charming Alpine Inns, gets 160,000 overnight stays a year.
But then, tourism has been a big industry in Switzerland; in Appenzell itself, about 13 per cent are directly employed in tourism against 16 per cent in agriculture.
Switzerland gets 15 million tourists a year, translating into 34 million hotel nights, and the bulk of the visitors are from the UK, followed by the US, and European countries such as France, Italy and Germany.
Global recession
Surprisingly, and thanks to the strong appeal of the country, and the exemplary manner in which it is marketed as a tourist destination, economic recession has seen the numbers come down by barely two per cent in the last two years, says Schmid. The strong Swiss Franc and the weaker euro had seen dips from Europe. But with the euro strengthening of late, arrivals from Europe are bound to improve.
He adds that the dip from Europe was made up by strong numbers from “Asian markets, particularly India and China.” Daniela, Switzerland Tourism’s Chief Communication Officer later chats with me about Bollywood and what it has done for promoting Switzerland as a travel destination for Indians. She has met Yash Chopra and is sad at his death. “He was such a fine gentleman,” she says.
Against the Europeans taking off to the hiking trails in the mountains and exploring the smaller regions of this charming country, Indian tourists, she tells me, prefer to stay in the cities and do day trips to the mountains.
But yes, India and China and the rest of Asia are becoming important, and I overhear this dialogue between two British journalists in the bus. “There are 10 journalists from China, isn’t it a sign of the changing times?”
We are five from India… here too a couple of steps behind China!
(To be continued)