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(Transportation-News.com, November 14, 2012 ) Geneva, Switzerland - In an effort to reverse popular perception that going on holiday in Switzerland is expensive, Swiss tour operators are promoting a wide range of options to suit every traveler’s budget.
“The strength of the Swiss franc over the euro has caused a near-9% drop in European tourist numbers" to Switzerland during the first seven months of this year, according to Federico Sommaruga, who is in charge of the Switzerland Tourism emerging markets unit. The organization functions as the national tourist board.
Last year, the Swiss franc gained 11% against the euro, forcing the Swiss central bank to pledge to purchase unlimited amounts of the European common currency to make certain one euro would buy a minimum of 1.20 Swiss francs.
Despite that, most Europeans still consider Switzerland a pricey, luxury destination far out of financial reach during a global recession. That lack of consumer confidence translated to a 9.5% drop in European visitor books and an 18% decrease in Dutch bookings in August alone, according to the Swiss Hotel Association.
Hoping to lure visitors, Swiss rail operator SBB recently offered a 15-day unlimited travel promotion good for boats and buses in addition to the rail line throughout Switzerland. SBB said it has sold 60,000 “Holiday Passports” since the launch, which occurred a few weeks ago.
Other travelers are choosing Switzerland as an adventure destination. "Holidays don't just have to be about getting a suntan. You can also do a little sport," said Ruedi Jaisli, founder of SwissTrails, a tour operator offering mountain-bike excursions, electric bike tours, rollerblading, canoeing, and hiking. "It's a very popular formula with families. We go to pick them up at the train station or airport, we take their bags to their various stop-off points during their stay.”
This year, roughly 5,000 people have gone with Swiss Trails, spending an average of six days each in the country.
Looking forward to winter, a number of Swiss ski resorts have announced they will not raise ski pass prices as usual. Swiss weekly Der Sonntag reported that more than half of the resorts contacted indicated they would not raise prices seasonally, whereas last year 80% did so.
Some ski resorts are even announcing price cuts.
"We are preparing for another difficult winter, thanks to the strong Swiss franc," said Andreas Keller, spokesman for Swiss mountain lift company SBS. "We struggled last year because of the strong franc, and because of several days of storms which affected the new year celebrations," he added.
A number of hotels and resorts in popular skiing areas are offering specials. In the Engadine region, anyone booking a minimum two-night stay will be able to purchase a ski pass for about 25 francs per day, a major discount off the usual rate.
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Source: EmailWire.Com 
Source: EmailWire.com
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