Bollywood comeback: Switzerland Tourism pulls off an India coup
Switzerland Tourism has made a successful comeback in Bollywood. The music video for a blockbuster was filmed in Switzerland and has captivated an audience of millions.
As the newspaper Schweiz am Wochenende reports in its current issue, Switzerland is currently enjoying more attention in India than it has for a long time. The music video "Tere Bin" by the two film stars Ranveer Singh and Sara Ali Khan, which was shot in Switzerland, already has click figures in the hundreds of millions. The song is part of the current blockbuster "Simmba".
The connection to Switzerland is no coincidence: leading actor Singh has been an ambassador for Switzerland Tourism since 2016. A stroke of luck for the marketing organization, as Singh's steep rise to cinema superstardom began shortly after signing the contract. He is currently said to be the most sought-after star in Bollywood. He was able to convince the producers to film in Switzerland. Switzerland Tourism organized everything. The contract with Singh was recently extended. His influence on social media is also huge: 19 million people follow him on Instagram, for example, and 11 million on Twitter.
The coup could represent a comeback that the tourism organization in India is working on. While Switzerland and Bollywood were an inseparable dream team in past decades, with around 170 films shot in this country, the relationship flattened out in the noughties because other countries - such as Austria - were much more active and financially committed to the productions.
The extent to which the "Bollywood effect" has an impact on hotel overnight stays by Indian guests is unclear and difficult to prove. In the Bollywood-weak noughties, however, the growth in guest numbers was weaker than in the two peak decades before. And now they are rising more strongly again.
Although Singh reaches a lot of people, it is unlikely to attract hordes of Indian guests. This is because the majority of the 1.1 billion population cannot afford to go on vacation. Only 8 million people from the upper class travel abroad on vacation. Nevertheless, this market is growing rapidly and the number of affluent Indians is increasing. And that is why Switzerland Tourism wants to increase its presence again. In addition, a young, urban target group from India has recently been targeted. In contrast to the majority of their compatriots, most of whom travel to Switzerland in summer, this target group could also be interested in winter tourism.
