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So it is not surprising that when showcasing the unique appeal of their perennially attractive tourism destination, Jurg Schmid, Director of Switzerland Tourism, proudly says that for its pristine natural landscapes, a recent Global Brand Index Survey ranked his country No. 1 on nature and No. 3 on authenticity.
He was addressing a group of 140 international journalists from 33 countries in a yet another charm offensive to showcase Swiss tradition, culture and hospitality to the rest of the world.
The locale he has chosen couldn’t be more beautiful; we are at the top of the Hoher Kasten, a mountain in the Appenzel Alps, overlooking the Rhine. It is about 1,900 metres above sea level and easily reached through a scenic cable car ride.
The air is crisp and cool, the rolling hills lush green and gorgeous. At the revolving restaurant, as we enjoy the best of delicacies made with local cheese and hazelnuts and the freshest of delicious fruits, washed down with locally made wine, it is easy to get drunk, more than the wine, on the panoramic view that unfolds.
Right from the morning I’ve been watching with admiration the manner in which the entire media visit was organised. To receive at the Zurich airport as many as 140 journalists — not the easiest of groups to handle — transfer them through two train rides to the charming town of Appenzell, and check them into various hotels, as thankfully the mega matchbox hotels of the bigger cities are totally missing here, is no mean task. It is done with élan, grace and near perfection efficiency.
Apparently in the larger Appenzell region, all of 172 sq. km., there are as many cows as people to about 16,000 of each. This little region, with 30 hotels and 20 charming Alpine Inns, gets 160,000 overnight stays a year.
But then, tourism has been a big industry in Switzerland; in Appenzell itself, about 13 per cent are directly employed in tourism against 16 per cent in agriculture.
Switzerland gets 15 million tourists a year, translating into 34 million hotel nights, and the bulk of the visitors are from the UK, followed by the US, and European countries such as France, Italy and Germany.
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