Switzerland Tourism to promote winter holidays in India

Switzerland Tourism launches 

Winter 2015 INLOVEWITHSWITZERLAND

ØLaunches‘INLOVEWITHSWITZERLAND Campaign in India to promote winter holidays

Ø  27% increase of tourists from India was observed in the months Jan to Jun 2015

by Suman Gupta

Mumbai, September 1, 2015: Switzerland Tourism has announced the launch of its ‘In Love with Switzerland’ Campaign for Mumbai, to celebrate 150 years of winter tourism. This campaign is to promote tourism to Switzerland from India, not only during summer but also during autumn and winter.  The winter campaign was launched in presence of tourism regions from Switzerland - St. Moritz, Davos Klosters, Rhaetian Railways and Ticino.

Switzerland has witnessed an astounding growth in the number of tourists travelling from India in the year 2015. After a relatively stagnant growth over the last 3 years, 2015 has seen a huge surge in Indian tourists with a growth of 26.7% recorded during Jan to June this year. June was one the best months with over 40% growth over 2014.

Switzerland Tourism had introduced in 2015 the ‘Grand Tour of Switzerland’ – a 1600km roadtrip that combines all of Switzerland’s best touristic and nature highlights, in one scenic journey. This tour can be done from different gateways like Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Lugano etc and can be split into any number of journeys. This has been an extremely successful promotion with many tourists exploring Switzerland by car this year and is going to continue into the Autumn/Fall Season.

Mr. Claudio Zemp, Director – India, Switzerland Tourism, said, “As Indians are getting more and more adventurous and are looking for new experiences, we think they are now ready for a winter holiday. In view of this we are delighted to launch ‘In Love with Switzerland’ Campaign in India to promote the winter season. With this campaign we expect to see a rise of 15 to 20 % overnights in the winter months. We expect most of this growth to come from main metro cities as this product is for the more evolved tourist. What we also want to showcase in this campaign is that winter in Switzerland is not only about skiing but has a lot of options for the first time winter tourist. The concept of pure white relaxation in winter and cozy pure winter are created for the Indian visitor and offer special activities like sledging and air boarding for the active ones and open air hot springs and igloo stays for the more relaxed visitor.

Ms. Ritu Sharma, Deputy Director, Switzerland Tourism India, said, “With India demonstrating strong economic growth, the outbound travel & tourism market is set to prosper. Indian tourists are constantly looking to experience new activities and destinations and hence reacting to the demand, we have  introduced new products in India. Although summer tourism has long been the favorite season for Indian tourists, we would also like to encourage them to experience Switzerland during autumn and winter. Autumn is absolutely stunning in Switzerland with the entire landscape turning into a riot of colors from gold to orange and if you are driving on the Grand Tour of Switzerland during this time, it will be a truly memorable sight”

Two of the must-visit places in Switzerland during winter are the resorts of St. Moritz and Davos Klosters, which are connected by the Rhaetian Railways. This region is an absolute winter wonderland and offers great attractions for all. While Davos Klosters is a family friendly resort with great winter activities for kids and adults alike, St.Moritz is a glamorous resort where the world’s rich and famous congregate to enjoy winter. Just a very scenic ride away on the Bernina Express lies Ticino, the Italian speaking region of Switzerland which enjoys year round Mediterranean climate, Swiss efficiency with an Italian lifestyle and great food and wine. It is an ideal place to thaw out before heading back.

About  Switzerland Tourism

Switzerland Tourism (ST) is a federal public corporation. Its mission, as decreed by a Federal Resolution of 16 December 1994, is to promote Switzerland as a holiday, travel and conference destination both at home and abroad. The Board comprises 13 representatives from the tourism sector, and from business and political circles. Around 220 employees work in Switzerland and in 28 countries. Switzerland Tourism opened its first office in India in 1997 in Mumbai, followed by an office in Delhi in 2000.

Switzerland Tourism works with many organizations and companies, for example, Swiss International Airlines, Swiss Embassies and Consulates and Business Councils. It also invites the representatives and agents of travel and tourism agencies every year to visit Switzerland in different times and seasons; it also invites a group of the representatives of the leading media to see the most famous Swiss tourist landmarks.