In the heart of the Alps lies the birthplace of gruyere, the watch worn on the moon, and Roger Federer. But aside from cheese, timepieces, and world class athletes, there are so much more things left to be admired in Switzerland.
This landlocked country in Central Europe boasts a hybrid experience—a combination of alpine or nature attractions and urban lifestyle—something that, according to tourism officials, visitors look for in any destination.
Majestic alpine scenery featuring the Matterhorn in Zermatt, scenic views in Interlaken, tranquil lake in Lucerne, charming medieval architecture in Bern, museums and designer stores in Zurich, and palatial hotels in St. Moritz, among many other picturesque destinations straight out of a storybook can be easily accessed by tourists.
The Swiss Travel Pass covers the country’s 26,000 kilometers of rail, bus, and boat routes. It includes rides on buses and trams of 75 towns and cities, trips on famous scenic routes including the glacier Express and the Golden Pass Line, and free entry to more than 480 museums where all accompanied children up to 16 years of age can travel completely free of charge.
For self-drive or chauffeur drive vacation the “Grand Tour of Switzerland” is the ideal choice. It takes tourists on a 1,600-kilometer road trip through the country’s most beautiful regions. Along the way, tourists can discover the four linguistic regions of Switzerland, five Alpine passes, 11 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and 22 of the most beautiful lakes—a journey packed with adventure from start to finish.
When it comes to food, Switzerland, even though famous for its cheese and chocolate, offers a large variety of European cuisine featuring specialties for all four seasons. Culinary sight-seeing tours with locals is also booming. For example, the Zurich Food Tour, a cultural hotspot of Zurich-West, features the background and history behind the city’s culinary revolution. Local delicacies feature different types of rich and organic vegetables, meat, seafood, and local drinks.
Health and beauty tourism is becoming a big thing in Switzerland, too. At the very beginning of tourism in the country, guests came to recover from health issues with the help of its crystal clear mineralized water combined with the fresh clean mountain air. Many generations later, guests rediscover Switzerland as the must-place to be for a healthy and beautiful vacation.
What with its breathtaking sights and delights, Switzerland surely is a bucket list destination for many Filipinos. In fact, according to Urs Eberhard, executive vice president of the Swiss National Tourism Board, tourist arrival from the Philippines has increased within a three-year span.
“Since Switzerland Tourism started with a ‘fact-finding’ mission in late 2014 and intensified its activities in the Philippines thereafter, the market grew from 23,081 annual overnights to 38,772 overnights. This represents an increase of not less than 67 percent,” shared Eberhard.
Based on data they gathered, tourists from the Philippines travel independently and like to discover a destination more in depth.
“Filipino travel agents cater to this trend and create Mono Switzerland Products. We see a big potential for incentive trips to Switzerland which highlights the combination of Swiss quality and prestige, Swiss hospitality and efficiency, and hassle-free travel within the destination that make Switzerland the ideal choice for a reward trip,” said Eberhard.
