There’s bad news for the tourism industry in Switzerland with the president of the national marketing body, Switzerland Tourism, saying that this year is set to be even worse than 2020.
Revenue from international tourism fell by nearly 50% last year, making it the worst year in history for the sector, according to Switzerland Tourism.
The organisation’s president, Martin Nydegger, has predicted that difficult years are ahead for Swiss tourism, adding that, while leisure tourism is picking up again, with a roughly 15% increase in visitors from neighbouring countries, business travel is not likely to return to pre-pandemic levels.
He says that the sector is also expecting 10% fewer domestic tourists this year than last year, as more Swiss travel abroad, thanks to a looser border restrictions.
Switzerland relies too heavily on an American NGO to detect child sexual abuse online, raising questions about the country's ability to protect children on its own.
Summer has arrived, with temperatures climbing past 30 over the long weekend. Basel reached 31 and Sion hit 32.4, but MeteoSwiss, says this does not yet count as an official heatwave.