For the annual B2B event “Switzerland Travel Experience” (STE), in October 2018, Switzerland Tourism invited guests on a 48-hour train journey aboard the historic Deccan Odyssey. It harks back to the times when Indian princes and British gentry travelled in luxurious railway coaches to go hunting or attend festivities.

The top Indian travel buyers are wooed by many national tourist organisations. If you want to stand out, you need to think up something special. ST managed this with its surprise STE: 34 of the largest Indian travel buyers accepted the invitation and travelled from Mumbai to Goa and back with 20 Swiss tourism providers.

Quiz

Which Swiss tourism region reported the highest percentage growth of overnight hotel stays by Indian guests in the last five years (2014 to 2018)?

  1. Valais
  2. Basel
  3. Zurich
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According to the Federal Statistical Office, the Valais Region could report the highest percentage growth of overnight hotel stays by Indian guests (+103.9%), followed by Basel (+99.8%) and Zurich (+98.8%).

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The participants had sufficient time for networking and intensive meetings in a relaxed atmosphere. This kind of personal exchange gives Switzerland a competitive advantage over other holiday destinations, drawing attention to the wide variety of Swiss tourism offers and generally reinforcing the relationship to buyers at various levels.

The number of overnight hotel stays for Indian guests reflects the successful work of the ST representation office in Mumbai: the Federal Statistical Office reported a rise of 9.6% (+70,755 ON) in 2018.