Switzerland Targets 1M Indian Tourists for Winter Tourism

With a substantial increase in Indian tourists in recent years, Switzerland is now aiming for one million visitors from India by 2020 and with that in mind, the country has appointed former Indian cricketers Virendra Sehwag and Zaheer Khan and Lasith Malinga of Sri Lanka to play ice cricket in the country.

Switzerland’s special focus is on promoting winter tourism and showcasing itself as a holiday destination that can be visited all year round, news agency IANS reported.

“The number of Indian overnight tourists to Switzerland was 7.48 lakh in 2017, which is close to 24 percent higher than the previous year. In 2018, we are up by 10 percent in terms of hotel overnights in a period from January to August as compared to the same period last year,” IANS cited Claudio Zemp, Director of Switzerland Tourism India as saying. “Indian tourists are increasingly looking at Switzerland as a travel destination because of the plethora of options it offers to each traveler. We aim to welcome one million Indian visitors by 2020.”

According to PTI, Switzerland has roped in cricket icons Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, and Lasith Malinga to play ice cricket in a Swiss ski resort as a part of the promotional drive.

The maximum visit of Indians is recorded during May and June, the peak tourist season, and not during the month of December which is winter and off-season, the news agency quoted Zemp as saying.

Zemp said that India is Switzerland’s eighth largest market in terms of international tourist inflow with the first three slots occupied by Germany, the U.S., and the UK. “More people from the tier-two and tier-three Indian cities are now visiting Switzerland. Also, more youngsters are traveling in search of experimental and adventure tourism. However, May and June comprise 70 percent of total Indian tourist inflow,” Zemp said.

“Not many Indians come to Switzerland during autumn and winter though there is scope for lots of activities at that time. The goal of Switzerland Tourism is to extend the holiday season and highlight Switzerland as an all-year holiday destination in the Indian market,” IANS quoted him saying.  He also said that a two-day ice cricket tournament on the frozen lakes of St. Moritz has been introduced to attract Indian tourists, where former Indian cricketers Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan participated last year.

Zemp credited the Indian film industry for popularizing Switzerland among Indian tourists. “It is clear that Indian films have increased the appeal of Switzerland among the tourists – (raising) the aspirations to come to Switzerland, building up the romantic image which Switzerland has portrayed through Bollywood, for many years,” PTI quoted him as saying.