Federal Council wants to increase funding for tourism advertising measures
The Federal Council intends to mitigate the strong franc through various measures. Among other things, funding for Swiss tourism advertising campaigns is to be increased.
According to the Department of Economic Affairs, funding for advertising measures for Swiss tourism abroad is to be increased by CHF 12 million this year and CHF 12 million next year. With regard to export risk insurance, the Federal Council intends to extend the additional instruments approved as part of the stabilization package.
If Switzerland Tourism were to benefit from the additional CHF 24 million proposed by the Federal Council to parliament on Wednesday, the intended use would already be clear: the money would be used primarily in Switzerland. Daniela Bär, spokesperson for Switzerland Tourism, explained to the SDA news agency that the money would primarily be used in Switzerland. It is important to be able to keep the Swiss in their own country, even if vacations abroad are currently cheap due to the strong franc.
In addition to the domestic market, Switzerland Tourism would focus on those countries that have potential and are not in the eurozone. Bär cites Brazil as an example. Other countries in which Switzerland Tourism would step up its advertising activities are the Gulf States, Russia, China and India. Advertising measures in the eurozone, on the other hand, would make little sense. Switzerland Tourism expects that the effect of the strong franc will already be felt in this year's summer business.
