Switzerland is the ultimate holiday and travel destination in the heart of the Alps.
Unspoiled nature, majestic mountains with eternal snow and glaciers, tranquil lakes filled with fresh spring water and the air pure and crisp like nowhere else in the world. The medieval towns invite guests for a shopping spree, be it for a genuine Swiss-Watch or for some culinary treats like Swiss Cheese and Swiss Chocolate.
“Switzerland is a dream destination for many Filipino travelers. Since Switzerland Tourism started with a ‘fact-finding’ mission in late 2014 and intensified its activities in the Philippines thereafter, the market grew from 23,081 annual overnights to 38,772 overnights. This represents an increase of not less than 67%,” said Mr. Urs Eberhard, Executive Vice President of the Swiss National Tourism Board.
Philippine tourists travel independently and like to discover a destination more in-depth. “Filipino Travel Agents cater to this trend and create Mono Switzerland Products. We see a big potential for incentive trips to Switzerland which highlights the combination of Swiss quality and prestige, Swiss hospitality and efficiency and hassle-free travel within the destination that make Switzerland the ideal choice for a reward trip,” said Eberhard.
Nowhere in the world will you have access to one single ticket. The Swiss Travel Pass covers the country’s 26,000 kilometers of rail, bus and boat routes. It includes rides on buses and trams of 75 towns and cities, trips on Swiss famous scenic routes including the Glacier Express and the Golden Pass Line and free entry to more than 480 museums where all accompanied children up to 16 years of age can travel completely free of charge.
For Self-Drive or Chauffeur Drive vacation the “Grand Tour of Switzerland” is the ideal choice. It takes tourists on 1,600 kilometers road trip through the country’s most beautiful regions. Along the way, tourists can discover the 4 linguistic regions of Switzerland, 5 Alpine passes, 11 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and 22 of most beautiful lakes, a journey packed with adventure from start to finish.
Tourism trends and their significance for Filipinos traveling to Switzerland:
Food tourism:
Food tourism has progressively developed into an ever more powerful trend among travelers around the world. Switzerland, even though famous for its cheese and chocolate, offers one of the largest varieties of European “Cuisines” where every region has a wide array of specialties for all four seasons. Culinary sight-seeing tours with locals are also booming. For example, the Zurich Food Tour, a cultural hotspot of Zurich-West, features the background and history behind the city’s culinary revolution. Local delicacies feature different types of rich and organic vegetables, meat, seafood and local drinks.
Tourism gets more feminine:
80% of travel decisions are made by women. Whether married, single or divorced and regardless of the country of origin. Offers and itineraries are focused on the decision makers — women. The Geneva’s Girls Guide, for example, was compiled for women by women. The guide covered inputs from local female ambassadors who are passionate about their city and its incredible, cosmopolitan offering.
Alpine/Urban hybrid:
Guests, especially from long-haul markets like to combine the urban lifestyle with the alpine/nature experiences. Combining trendy city hotels with the traditional rural hospitality of a chalet hotel is now a trend. Experiences with eternal snow, a Swiss handy craft and a jazz or classical concert happening on the same day are what the consumer of tomorrow is looking for. Where better than in Switzerland where distances are short and fantastically connected with the Swiss Travel System?
Destination gathering:
We become more and more global citizens. There are kids who study abroad and family members who live far away from each other due to work assignments. As many have to travel anyways, we see more and more of those multi-generation families who combine gathering with a vacation. They are looking for a place where all members of the group and all generations will find their perfect holiday experiences. Where else in the world can you do that better than in Switzerland, where tourist attractions are just stone throws away from each other?
Health & Beauty:
And last but not least, we see a strong revival of health and beauty tourism. At the very beginning of tourism in Switzerland, the guests came to Switzerland to recover from health issues. The magic of our crystal clear mineralized water combined with the fresh clean mountain air saved many lives and made people feel better again. No wonder that nowadays, many generations later, guests rediscover Switzerland as the must place to be for a healthy and beautiful vacation.
