Recognizing the potential of Taiwan’s independent travel market, Swiss Representative to Taiwan François Barras and Swiss National Tourist Office Taiwan Market Manager Beat Stähli jointly announced yesterday (the 20th) that they have invited Alana Cheng (Taiwanese-American) to be the first “Swiss Tourism Ambassador.” This move aims to increase market visibility and encourage more Taiwanese travel agencies to develop independent travel packages to Switzerland, thereby expanding Taiwan’s share in the global outbound tourism market.
François Barras, Swiss Representative to Taiwan, stated that tourism is a vital industry for Switzerland, with the Greater China region being one of its primary source markets. As “hiking” and “mountaineering” continue to grow in popularity among Taiwanese travelers, the Swiss National Tourist Office has chosen “Hike Switzerland, Return to Nature” as its summer promotion theme this year.
Over the past two years, due to frequent international terrorist attacks that have impacted the European tourism market, Switzerland has been one of the few European countries to see notable growth in visitor numbers. The Greater China region has experienced significant increases in travelers to Switzerland, with growth rates of 32.3% in 2017 and 14.9% in 2018. Taiwan’s visitor numbers to Switzerland grew by 32.3% in 2017 and 7.7% in 2018, with even greater increases in overnight stays.
Beat Stähli, Swiss National Tourist Office Taiwan Market Manager, said that in 2018, visitors from the Greater China region spent a total of 1,727,271 nights in Switzerland, marking a 6.1% increase compared to 2017. At the same time, the Swiss Travel Pass, widely favored by independent travelers, saw a 14.9% increase in sales in the Greater China market in 2018. This trend indicates strong interest in independent travel to Switzerland among travelers from the Greater China region, including Taiwan, and is driving market development.
Stähli cited statistics from the Swiss National Tourist Office, pointing out that the independent travel market from Taiwan to Switzerland is growing rapidly. The main reasons include: 1. Taiwanese travelers’ love for Switzerland’s natural landscapes, 2. Switzerland’s well-developed tourism and transportation infrastructure, 3. Increasing interest among Taiwanese in short hiking trips, 4. Clear signage in Switzerland that helps prevent travelers from getting lost, and 5. Switzerland’s rich and diverse culture.
The Swiss National Tourist Office invited Alana to serve as the “2019 Swiss Summer Tourism Ambassador,” primarily because the in-depth travel show she hosts—“Follow Alana 愛遊台灣,” produced by a Taiwanese team—won the “Telly Awards,” often referred to as the “Oscars of American television programming.” Additionally, the production team launched a brand-new season titled “Follow Alana 愛遊世界 – 瑞士之旅” in June. The Swiss National Tourist Office hopes that through Alana’s captivating video footage and unique perspective, Taiwanese audiences will come to know Switzerland’s stunning natural beauty and moving stories.