A new campaign from Switzerland Tourism is showing off its stunning scenery, and we’ve decided they absolutely are allowed to show off. It’s darn pretty over there.
Switzerland’s 2017 summer campaign has launched with three new lead-in themes: ‘My Swiss Experience’, ‘Wildlife Watching’, and ‘Alpine huts’.
The overarching theme is telling visitors to get ‘Back to Nature’, targeting not only the Outdoorsy types, but also to encourage city-dwellers to take a break and re-connect with Mother Nature.
According to the Director of Switzerland Tourism AU & NZ, Mark Wettstein, these themes address the growing interest and demands from travellers when visiting the country.
“While many of our visitors are well acquainted with Switzerland’s no-filter-required picturesque landscape as well as the cheese, chocs and clocks, interests in other authentic experiences are growing,” said Wettstein.
“Travellers are looking for new and different activities, knowledge and involvements to enhance their journey and itineraries; and getting to know or interacting with locals to learn about their ways of life is a major appeal.”
This delightful new marketing approach was unveiled at a tourism and industry lunch yesterday, and it seems like it’s adding to an already successful strategy.
Switzerland has consistently enjoyed a stable stream of visitors from Australia and New Zealand with year-on-year growth averaging four per cent over the last three years. The first quarter of 2017 alone has seen a 14 per cent increase in AU&NZ overnights in the country. (Total overnights from AU & NZ in 2016 was 323,000).
A direct response to the growing demands from travellers to familiarise with the local ways of life, My Swiss Experience offers visitors the opportunity to explore the country and regional diversities via various experiences and encounters, both new and old hosted by locals.
Travellers researching online will find more than 700 suggestions, all of which are listed and searchable via categories including interests, regions, duration, seasons and other filters.
Put simply, ‘Nature wants you back’, says Switzerland Tourism. And here’s how:
Wildlife Watching offers animal lovers a range of encounters with the Swiss wildlife.
More than 100 day packages (ranging from 1 – 7 hours) are available, where accompanied by professional guides, visitors will get to see and learn about the behaviours of the likes of ibexes, chamois, vultures, beavers and many other species in their natural habitat. Visitors can be assured that all tours are committed to the protection of wildlife and environment.
Alpine Huts offer visitors the chance to stay close to nature and away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
For the very first time, travellers have direct access to traditional alpine huts that have been used for generations as summer residences by local cheese makers or shepherds and their animals.
While some huts have been luxuriously refurbished, most huts remain in their original form without mod-cons such as dishwashers, hot tubs, cable TV or broadband. As such, visitors are encouraged to truly detach themselves from their modern-day lifestyle and reconnect with the natural surrounds.
