Switzerland is eager to welcome back Chinese tourists, who accounted for the largest group of visitors to the country before the spread of the coronavirus and the
restrictions imposed to contain its further spread. In 2019, visitors from China spent a total of 1.85 million hotel nights in Switzerland, and now that the epidemiological situation has improved, the country wants to have Chinese tourists back.
Chinese tourists are very important to Switzerland's tourism industry, as they spend a lot of money on services like hotels and also on buying products from Switzerland. According to Andre Aschwanden, a spokesperson for Switzerland Tourism, Chinese tourists are an important source of revenue for the country.
To attract more visitors from China, authorities in Switzerland have launched campaigns, but the comeback of Chinese tourists is still slow. A notice provided previously by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism revealed that from February 6, Chinese travel agencies, as well as tour operators, would be eligible to restart pilot outbound group tours and also provide visitors with airline as well as hotel packages.
Authorities in Switzerland previously confirmed that passengers from China reaching Switzerland would not be required to undergo a mandatory testing process, despite the fact that China was subject to an increased number of COVID-19 infection cases. The government of Switzerland noted that the Omicron variant spread in China posed only a small risk to the Swiss population and the Swiss health system.
Previously, the director from China, Daniela Chiani, said that she expects a significant recovery for travel from China to Switzerland this year following the abolishment of COVID-19 restrictions. "We welcome the latest measures that the Chinese government took towards the reopening of outbound travel. This is a major step for Switzerland Tourism," Chiani told Xinhua in an interview.
In addition to the Chinese, Switzerland also attracts a large number of Canadians who plan to travel to Switzerland for tourism purposes. The figures provided by the Federal Office of Statistics revealed that last year there was a total of 83% increase in Canadian overnight stays in this country, for 227,658 nights. Besides, it was noted that the overnight figures combined from the United States and Canada to Swiss territory in January this year were 9.7% higher compared to those of the same period in 2019.
As the epidemiological situation continues to improve and travel restrictions are gradually lifted, Switzerland is hoping to see a steady increase in the number of tourists visiting the country from China and other countries. The Swiss tourism industry, which has been hit hard by the pandemic, is eagerly awaiting the return of tourists and is working hard to ensure that visitors have a safe and enjoyable experience in Switzerland. Photo by kuhnmi, Wikimedia commons.