Indian Travellers are increasingly traveling to the country through the year with autumn & winter also emerging as popular seasons to travel
Indian Tourists are increasingly looking at Switzerland as a preferred travel destination because of the plethora of offers available for all seasons and all age groups. Indian travellers are getting more diverse, adventurous, and experiential and are now also exploring seasons other than the traditional summer holiday period and travelling in the autumn months as well as in winter.
Switzerland’s growing popularity amongst Indians can be attributed to the successful promotion of the diversity in options the country offers across seasons. It is a 365-day destination that is ready for visitors any time of the year, with every season presenting the country in a new light. Although summer remains the most popular season, autumn or fall is gaining popularity amongst Indians as it’s a shoulder season, a time when the best hotel and airline deals are available with perfect weather conditions. Lucerne, Interlaken and Lake Geneva Region make for a perfect autumn holiday for solos, couples, families as well as adventure seekers.
Destinations like St Moritz, Zermatt and Engelberg-Titlis are popular winter destinations as they offer exciting winter sports activities like skiing, tobogganing and snow-tubing. In the past few years, the country has seen an increasing number of younger travellers who want to experience winter sports. Switzerland offers opportunities such as the first ski experience which allows the traveller to try out the sport with the least hassle. The package includes not just a ski pass, but also an instructor as well as ski equipment for a half day experience in an all-inclusive offer.
Switzerland has a lot of experiences and activities to offer in its boutique cities such as Zurich, Lucerne, Interlaken, St. Moritz and Montreux and Lausanne in the Lake Geneva Region, be it adventure, sports, culture, food, or experiences. Zurich however still remains the most popular region and enjoys a 35% market share of all nights spent by Indians because Indians prefer staying in Swiss cities as they are small, easy to navigate yet very close to nature with all the comforts of a city.
The Swiss Travel Pass – an all on one ticket valid on all modes of public transportation is also very popular with Indian tourists due to its the convenience and ease-of use for tourists, in fact India stands at no- 2 worldwide in the sales of the Swiss Travel Pass.
The Grand Train Tour of Switzerland encompasses the country’s top panoramic trains and gives tourists an opportunity to explore all main attractions of Switzerland via these scenic routes. ‘The Grand Train Tour’ has been one of the most important aspects of the promotions for 2018-19, with strategic campaigns running across new media with specially curated Grand Train Tour videos using popular television celebrities and influencers as they are very relatable to Indian audiences.
Of course a big contributor to Switzerland’s increasing number of Indian overnights is the passionate and effervescent Ranveer Singh who is the brand ambassador for Switzerland Tourism. With his unparalleled charm and energy, he has helped showcase Switzerland in a very attractive and diverse light. His last trip to Lake Geneva Region showcased an unexplored side of the country and introduced Indian travellers to regions like Montreux, Lausanne, Lavaux, Glacier 3000, Golden Pass Panoramic train and more.
“We are very pleased with the way Indian travellers are increasingly looking at Switzerland as a 365-day destination that has something for every member of the family. The campaigns we did this year with Ranveer Singh and for ‘The Grand Train Tour’, were very well received by viewers as they were able to see Switzerland and all the new and unexplored experiences and destinations it has to offer. Both 2017 and 2018 have been really exciting years for us. We saw a 9.6% increase in the overnights spent by Indians in Switzerland during 2017-2018. Our overnights in 2017 stood at 739,185 while they moved up to 809,940 in 2018. In 2019, too, we hope to continue with this growth,” said Ms. Ritu Sharma, Deputy Director, Switzerland Tourism India.
Switzerland Tourism also held their annual roadshow in the cities of Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Chennai. These road shows which included 21 Swiss partners including destinations, hoteliers, transport partner as well as mountain excursions representatives from various parts of Switzerland were very well received by the travel trade in these cities.
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.
Tourism in Switzerland occupies rank no. 4 in terms of export revenues following the chemical and metal industries and luxury watch-making industry.
