THE Swiss Embassy said without direct flights bridging Switzerland and the Philippines, there will be limited growth in two-way tourism between the two countries.
Deputy Head of Mission Raoul Imbach said despite their embassy noting a 20-percent increase in arrivals, the country remains a distant option for Swiss tourists.
“The Philippines is gaining. At the top is Thailand in Asia because, basically, they get very good deals for flights, they are direct flights. So it is just a matter of convenience. Also the price quality in Thailand is still better than here. Also, the infrastructure is still not good enough here. We have to work on that. Access to places is still a problem,” Imbach said.
He added: “So for Swiss people who come to Philippines or Asia, they go to Thailand because everything is easy. It is well-organized. It is cheap. It has direct flights, so that makes it a bit of an advantage. That is why the Philippines need to work harder to attract not only Swiss, but also any nationality, because the country is not on the normal route.”
Imbach added the Swiss government is still observing the impact of the recently declared state of lawlessness and the terrorist attacks in the southern part of the country before issuing travel advisories.
“No we have not changed our travel advisory. There is always a possibility of some terror attacks anywhere in the Philippines. It is part of it, but really it is not on top of the concerns. It is one of the things that can happen but we have not changed because of Davao,” Imbach said.
“At this moment, we have to see how it develops. People who are interested to do business here, they came and they look at the place, and if they like it they will do it. I do not think at this moment it is a special concern. It is something people keep in mind, but I do not think it is a special concern.”
Meanwhile, there has also been a noted increase in Filipinos traveling to Switzerland for both incentive travels and special-interest tours.
Swiss Tourism Director for Southeast Asia Ivan Breiter said overnight travelers from the Philippines has been steadily growing over the past 10 years with the total number reaching 30,000 last year.
“We see a lot of families travelling to Switzerland. Also special-interest groups, people going on watch tours. We see more and more people doing different experiences, going to the Christmas markets, to snow villages, and doing some winter sports. This is really a growing trend,” Breiter said.
He noted that with the Philippines having one of the fastest-growing economies in the Asia-Pacific region and an increasing number of middle-class families, they are expecting more Filipinos traveling to their country.
“People can afford to travel to Europe. Switzerland is a dream destination for many. It is a good place to start a vacation, especially, if you want to travel individually, because you have the infrastructure, the great train system that brings you from one place to the other,” Breiter said.
The Philippines is Switzerland’s fifth-largest market in Southeast Asia. According to Breiter, their target is another 6-percent to 7-percent growth in arrivals from the Philippines next year.
Image credits: Rodel Alzona
22 comments
I personally know one friend on his visit that had his necklace ripped from his neck by two guys on a motercycle with a cop witnessesing it standing 15 feet away and did nothing.
My last visit took my sister with us she and my wife (filipina) riding on a trike and guy jumps on back reaches through and rips very tiny necklace from my sister, driver was probably in on it according to wife. We personally know a person who had a single bullet placed into his luggage at he airport and went to jail because he refused to pay off security and police in exchange to be set free.
Our visit before last a cab driver tried to turn down a dark alley until my wife leaped over the seat and started beating on him he the stoped the turn backed up and stayed on the main road, I seen 5 or 6 guys in the alley waiting.
So you want to visit the Philippines? I would take my money and family somewhere else, its not worth your life.
We were planning a visit next year and taking my wife’s extended family 16 of us to Boracay so they could experience an airplane ride ad fine dinning and so on but now we are getting them all passports and will visit another country. My wife keeps in contact with her family and friends all over PI and they say it was safer 6 months ago than it is today.
Typical Yellow troll..
I’m white not yellow, sorry!
It was safer 6 months ago? You must be one of them that’s why you feel safer during the Aquino administration! My husband is white, 2 of my brother-in-laws are white but none of them experienced what you’re talking about and trust me my brother-in-law that works with the US military go to the Philippines every 3 months and travel on his own in Manila but he has never seen nor experienced what you have said.
Seems like you have a rather negative, extreme and critical attitude of which you would find exaggerated fault with any country you would travel to. Perhaps you should just stay home and enjoy living in your little safe space bubble.
Know allot have house and property their fool!
BS
I don’t buy this ?
It is safer now
With airport security planting bullets and drugs and staying we can let this go if you pay off about 4 or 5 people or prison!
You are about 110 days too late with your assessment. That did happen under the Aquino administration but as soon as Duterte was elected he put an end to that. All the while Aquino did nothing about it.
`it gone now
It happened yring the previous admin. Now its gone. Thank God.
indeed itr is safer now.. Now, we can stroll at night without fearing that an addict will attack us. Before, it was scary to be outside our homes from 6pm to dawn because adrunks and addicts roaming on the streets. But thank God, now, they are gone.
Maybe your friend doesn’t know how to construct english sentences maybe she meant it’s safer Now. UNLESS she is an illegal drug dealer or you are drug dealer. Better stay away from Ph then.
My wife is Filipina lived in Manila I have been there 7 times in the last 5 years her family lives there her aunt is a cop so I’m sure she knows what she’s talking about.
don’t mind them, their brains works like Duterte, typical Dutertards.
your answer is disgusting! typical Duterte follower
I don’t need your opinion and fyi i am not living in ph to be his follower.. u knw what i mean? You are just one of those whom peope called “fil crab mentality”. Grow up and help your country d… kopf!
And why did you let your wife beat up the taxi driver? Why not you? Or why not ask him to stop in a right way then punch him if he wont do it. Oh my! Better stay away fr Ph you guys sound a bit crazy. People don’t need paranoid tourist. I have been in palawan, boracay, davao, manila. It was a great vacation.
I personally know Terry. He’s another typical farang troll with investments i.e. bars, brothels, motels etc. in a neighboring country who wish to psychologically divert tourist dollars to his place by maligning the Philippines in the comments section and most especially in expat forums using contrived scenarios or highlighting anything negative about this country which unfortunately is just as likely to happen in real life where he conducts his business. You can tell that tourism is really their bread and butter aside of course from the oldest trade which is why his kind would go to this extent just to prop up their ROI. What’s the matter farang? Are your brothel’s ageing production machinery starting to lose their efficiency rating that you’ve become this desperate? Too old to study data mining eh?
Have a house and property in CDO and as Duterte and others in government lash out with antiamerican sarcasm your fellow Filipinos will absorb this and too will lash out with hate believing it’s ok because their president accepts it. Will only get bad for Americans if he doesn’t do an about face.