LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE WINTRY LAND
Thais have always had a strong fondness for Switzerland, and the new head of tourism hopes to see that fondness grow even stronger
Martin Nydegger, 47, has this year been appointed chief executive officer of tourism for the National Tourism Office of Switzerland. He was recently in Bangkok to promote Swiss tourism at the “In Love With Switzerland” fair at Siam Paragon.
Switzerland has about 8.3 million people. It has four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh. The Alpine country is highly acclaimed for its natural beauty and its way of life.
However, Switzerland has not yet ranked among the top 10 destinations for global travellers. It ranked 34th in terms of international tourist arrivals and 22nd in terms of tourist spending.
Last year, Switzerland welcomed about 11.1 million visitors, up 7% from 10.4 million visitors in 2016. The tourists generated US$17 billion (544 billion baht), up 4.5% from US$16.2 billion, according to the World Tourism Organization.
The largest number of visitors are from Germany, followed by the United States and China. The number of Thai tourists to Switzerland is also growing. From 50,000 visitors in the year 2000 to more than 200,000 travellers in 2017.
“Overnight tourists from Thailand have increased during 10 consecutive years. We have more than 220,000 visitors from Thailand,” he said.
Nydegger said the reason for the positive growth among Thai visitors was that Thais really appreciate what Switzerland offers.
“It’s about mountains, lakes and nature. It’s the contrast which makes it very interesting,” Nydegger said.
Another reason is because the late King Bhumibol lived and studied in Switzerland for 18 years.
“Thai people want to go to places where their beloved king had been,” he said.
When you take the position, what will be your goals?
I want to make sure Switzerland is the top outdoor destination. I want to position Switzerland as one of the top five outdoor destinations in the world. We are close, but we are not there yet. When you travel in Switzerland, you can expect outdoor experiences. Switzerland is the ideal place for discovering. Switzerland is all about nature, recreation and health.
What choices of transportation should travellers take when in your country?
Switzerland has the world’s best public transportation system. We have one single pass called the Swiss Travel Pass (swiss-pass.ch). You can travel on anything that moves on Switzerland’s public transportation systems like trains, boats, buses or tramps. It’s very easy. Our train system is very punctual and functional. It can lead you from valleys up to mountains.
For those who’d rather have cars, we recommend the Grand Tour of Switzerland (myswitzerland. com/en-th/grand-tour-of-switzerland.html). It is a 1,600km-long journey. It covers and captures all the best spots and directions. You will drive along 22 lakes, pass five Alpine passages and 12 Unesco World Heritage Sites. You can do it in a week or two weeks.
The Grand Tour of Switzerland is also designed for electric cars. Every 50km, we guarantee you a charging station. That might be a little bit early. But we’re convinced that in four years there will be more electric cars on the road.
What do you think about tourists’ perception that travelling to Switzerland is expensive?
We are a premium brand. We are not the cheapest nation and not so expensive. Being premium means high quality and excellent places. We have a large number of 5- and 4-star hotels. When you go to Switzerland, you’ll get excellent service, excellent landscape.
How many days do visitors spend in Switzerland and how much do they spend, on average, a day?
Tourists stay about five or six days by average. They spend about 8,200 baht a day on average.
How much does the tourism industry contribute to the country’s GDP?
It contributes about 5% of the GDP [the country’s GDP is $659.9 billion]. The number is increasing. We have a strong watch industry. But the growth is stable and the tourism industry is keeping up. Soon tourism will have a larger GDP than the watch industry does.
What are the top three must-see destinations? Visitors should definitely go and see Interlaken (the premier vacation destination situated in the heart of the Bernese Oberland). It’s really spectacular.
They should also go to the French-speaking area, Montreux [a traditional resort town on Lake Geneva]. It’s a very beautiful place.
I think they should definitely go to Appenzell [a town in northeastern Switzerland, at the foot of the Alpstein mountains]. It is something small, something unexpected and something new. What is Switzerland’s tourism campaign?
In summer, it is “Nature wants you back”. In winter, it’s Upgrade your winter”. They’re different approaches. In summer, it’s all about nature. Nature is the main key. So we say “Nature wants you back”, so come back to nature.
When winter comes, it is a different motive. So Upgrade your winter” — like, get excellent services or get something better for winter.
For spring, we don’t have a campaign. For autumn, we have “Awaken your senses” because it is a sensual season with a lot of food, a lot of colours, a lot of different tastes and smells, so come to Switzerland and autumn will awaken your senses.
What do you expect from the “In Love With Switzerland” fair?
We really hope that people will get a glimpse of Switzerland. We hope they participate in the competition of cow-stacking and we hope they come to visit us.
What are three things that you can’t travel without?
I cannot travel without my phone because I take pictures ( laughs). The second thing is good books. I like Swiss authors a lot. We have many good Swiss authors. I like their style when they write. It is maybe like Thai authors because when they write, they know what you like or how you think. I like novels, totally fiction.
Third, I’ll never travel without chocolate. It’s must be Swiss chocolate because it’s the best.
For more information about tourism in Switzerland, visit Switzerland Tourism’s website (www.myswitzerland.com).