The UAE’s traffic into Switzerland last year bucked every trend and resulted in a whopping hike of 20.8 per cent overnights over pre-pandemic figures during the period of July to December. We speak to Matthias Albrecht, Director GCC, Switzerland Tourism, to analyse the figure and know more about what lies ahead for the country.
“After our borders opened in July 20, last year, from the moment people could travel to Switzerland, they did. And they travelled to Switzerland more often than they did in 2019.
“Every month from July to December, we received more overnights from the UAE than we did in pre-pandemic in 2019. In total, we are 20.8 per cent more in 2021 than the same period in 2019 (pre-pandemic),” he says.
Looking back, a number of factors could be held responsible for this meteoric rise in the country’s popularity. Switzerland was one of the first to accept Sinopharm in Europe as a valid vaccination for entry, alongside Spain. “This, combined with the fact that we communicated our opening rules clearly and ahead of time, has borne fruit. We must have done something right!
“On the other, we were very humbled that Switzerland’s image as a safe haven has encouraged people to spend more time within the destination than they did before the pandemic. We did well in terms of management of the Corona crisis. We took the middle path, just like the UAE and Dubai, in particular.
Albrecht adds, “Initially, if you remember, we had a bit of delays with the issuance of visas. If that delay wasn’t there, I am confident that we would have had even higher numbers to share.”
Emiratis, who don’t need visas to enter Switzerland, formed the bulk of the UAE travellers in the initial few weeks of border opening. At the same time, the swell in overnights can be credited to expatriate Brits and other European passport holders, many of whom chose Switzerland to enjoy their breaks because they couldn’t return to their own countries due to travel complications or lengthy quarantines, Albrecht says.
The regional office of Switzerland Tourism is credited with remaining tight with their trade partners throughout the pandemic, first virtually and then in person as soon as the rules relaxed in the UAE. “My colleague Tawfik (Melli) was having up to ten coffees a day at one point,” Albrecht reveals. HASSLE-FREE TRAVEL
In welcome news for travellers, the Swiss government has lifted the majority of its measures put in place to contain the coronavirus pandemic. From February 17, visitors from the UAE have no longer been required to provide an entry form, vaccine certificate, or negative PCR test, and the same rules apply for most GCC countries (except Oman which is not on European Union’s green list, at the time of press).
The decision was taken after consultation by the Federal Council, whereby a clear majority of respondents came out in favour of lifting most of the remaining measures with immediate effect. Next month, on April 1, all special circumstances around Covid-19 are expected to end, providing the epidemiological situation continues to evolve as expected, the director tells us.
“Switzerland has natural scenery and outdoor pursuits to delicious local cuisine and immersive cultural experiences. Switzerland’s return to normal as the Covid situation in the country develops positively, and the healthcare system is not deemed at risk of becoming overwhelmed. To protect the resident and tourist population, anyone who tests positive must still isolate, plus masks should still be worn on public transport and in healthcare settings until the end of March.”
Massimo Baggi, Ambassador of Switzerland to the UAE and Bahrain, highlights the significance of these changes: “Switzerland is one of the most popular destinations among travellers from this region and I appreciate their enthusiasm in wanting to return, as soon as the situation would allow for it. As the epidemiological situation in Switzerland continues to develop positively, this is another significant step towards finally letting visitors freely explore our beautiful country once again. We look forward to welcoming many tourists from the region to Switzerland in the upcoming months.” GREEN SHOOTS
Apart from the obvious green shoots of travel recovery, Switzerland’s continuous focus on ‘Swisstainable’, an initiative launched last year will drive travel initiatives going forward. “Enjoy nature up close and at first hand. Experience the local culture in an authentic way. Consume regional products. This is what Swisstainable is all about. We currently have about 700 tourism providers that are part of the Swisstainable movement, who have pledged - in varying capacities - to be sustainable.
“The Grand Tour of Switzerland, with its sustainable public transport options, will also be the focus this year,” Albrecht tells us.
There’s a big announcement on the cards, but it’s very early to reveal anything else, he says. So do watch this space for more.