Switzerland has witnessed a 26 per cent rise in arrivals of Indian tourists during the first half of 2015 and is expecting over 20% increase for the year.
"We have has witnessed an astounding growth in the number of tourists travelling from India in 2015. After a relatively stagnant growth over the last three years, this year has seen a surge in Indian tourists with a growth of 26.7% recorded during January to June," Switzerland Tourism Director in India Claudio Zemp told reporters here.
June was one the best months with over 40% growth over 2014, he said.
"As Indians are getting more and more adventurous and are looking for new experiences, we think they are now ready for a winter holiday. In view of this we are delighted to launch 'In Love with Switzerland' Campaign in India to promote the winter season," Zemp said.
Switzerland Tourism has announced the launch of the 'In Love with Switzerland' campaign to celebrate 150 years of winter tourism and promote tourism from India not only during summer but in autumn and winter as well.
The director said that with the campaign, Switzerland tourism anticipates a rise of 15 to 20% overnights in the winter months and over 20 per cent growth for the whole year, he said.
In 2014, 5.5 lakh Indians visited Switzerland, popular for its snow-capped mountains and picturesque beauty.
The growth is expected to come from main metro cities as the product is for the more evolved tourists.
"What we also want to showcase in this campaign is that winter in Switzerland is not about just skiing. The concept of pure white relaxation in winter and cozy pure winter are created for Indian visitors. Special activities like sledging and air boarding, open air hot springs and igloo stays will be offered for visitors," he said.
"With India demonstrating strong economic growth, the outbound travel and tourism market is set to prosper. Indian tourists are constantly looking to experience new activities and destinations. Hence, reacting to the demand, we have introduced new products in India," Switzerland Tourism India Deputy Director Ritu Sharma said.
