The number of overnight stays is rising, but the mountain regions are lagging behind the cities
Swiss tourism needs to shift from a trot to a gallop—this was the call made by Dominique de Buman, President of the Swiss Tourism Federation (STV), in his opening remarks at this year’s annual general meeting on August 17, 2018, in Fribourg. While the current overnight stay figures are encouraging, there is still a significant disparity between mountain regions and cities. To counteract this trend, the STV has published a position paper in collaboration with the SAB.
Swiss tourism is gaining momentum again - a welcome development. Both domestic and foreign guests are increasingly spending their vacations in Switzerland. European guests, who withdrew three years ago due to the hard franc, are now gradually returning to Switzerland. This is due not least to the innovative strength of Swiss tourism and increased cooperation within the industry. However, this development must now be strengthened and internalized, as Dominique de Buman, STV President and President of the National Council, emphasizes: "I hope that Swiss tourism can switch from a walk to a trot and even from a trot to a gallop. Improved added value and growing market shares will be our thanks."
Continued focus on Alpine tourism
The STV has been focusing on Alpine tourism for three years - and this is still necessary: the discrepancy between mountain regions and cities is not getting any smaller. A good month ago, the STV - in collaboration with the Swiss Association for Mountain Regions SAB - published "12 theses on the future of tourism in mountain regions". Among other things, the paper contains innovative examples and is intended to serve as a basis for further actions and measures (Download as PDF).
Nothing is as constant as change
The economy is changing, and so is the tourism industry. In order to continue to meet the changing needs, the STV Board decided this spring, following its annual closed meeting, to initiate a strategy process. The focus is on increasing member benefits.
An initial workshop was held on Thursday; the findings will now be incorporated into further work. The aim is to draw up the amendments by the next General Meeting so that they can then be adopted.
Will is stronger than strength
The successful Paralympian and this year's guest speaker Edith Hunkeler impressively demonstrated that great things can be achieved with willpower. With a clear goal in mind and a lot of passion, many a goal can be achieved that would otherwise have been almost unattainable. So let's tackle the current and future challenges with full motivation!
