The problem is not the strong franc
If investor Samih Sawiris has his way, there are some things going wrong in the Swiss tourism industry.
In an interview with SonntagsBlick, Sawiris does not see the Swiss franc, which is permanently strong compared to the euro, as the main problem for tourism's woes. One had put on some fat in the good years. "It's like with humans: Fasting doesn't hurt," says the Egyptian, who has been investing in Andermatt for years.
VIP treatment at the ski lift
The problem is rather that people in this country rely too much on the "fantastic nature" with the "beautiful mountains and lakes. At the same time, foreign guests must be offered what the competition also offers.
As an example, Sawiris cites VIP lines at ski lifts, where you pay more but don't have to stand in line. In Switzerland, such preferential treatment in exchange for money is perceived as inappropriate.
Incidentally, this is a concept that was already introduced in Laax in 2012 - albeit limited to peak days. Sawiris is pushing for Andermatt to also introduce the ski lift preference for wealthy customers. Even if his people are still skeptical, he said. "I've done a lot of things where people were first against it and then for it."
Low identification
In general, Sawiris sees the main problems in the service. Switzerland employs too many guest workers who come to the country for only two or three months because of the good pay, but who don't really identify with the place. So people are already making compromises. "If a waiter in Austria lives in the village himself, even when the tourists are not there, he lives for that place. Then his service is also better," the Egyptian is convinced.
It's not the prices that have to come down in Switzerland, because people expect them to. But you have to offer the guests the quality that corresponds to the prices. "When you go shopping for Prada, you know it's going to be expensive. But then you also want a jacket in Prada quality and not one from C&A. Otherwise, people will go straight to C&A," says Sawiris, summarizing the point that worries him most at the moment.
Tourism should take the example of the machine industry: Swiss industrial goods are more expensive, but people buy them because they are much more precise and better than the competition. (hae/SoBli)
Image: Keystone/Alexandra Wey
