Bollywood ambassador boosts Indian tourist visits in winter season

Images and videos of Ranveer Singh frolicking in the snow were seen by his tens of millions fans on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

The number of overnight stays by Indian tourists in Switzerland during the winter reason (December to February) increased by 11%. 

In 2016, Switzerland Tourism had engaged the services of Indian film star Ranveer Singh to promote Switzerland as an adventurous destination for young Indians, especially during the winter. 

It's good to be back in Switzerland 🇨🇭! @EngadinStMoritzExternal link @MySwitzerlandINExternal link #inLOVEwithSWITZERLANDExternal link pic.twitter.com/F1FtELAn9mExternal link

— Ranveer Singh (@RanveerOfficial) March 1, 2017External link

“Ranveer Singh’s adventures in the snow have certainly led to a change of image of Switzerland in India. Nowadays, more and more young, urban, and individually traveling Indians are attracted by active holidays even during the winter season,” a representative from Switzerland Tourism told swissinfo.ch.  

Only Taiwan (13.2%) and Iceland (18.2%) showed a greater increase in overnight stays during this period, revealed statistics released on Wednesday. 

The majority of Indians prefer to visit Switzerland in the summer months of May and June. Almost 80% of all overnight stays were in the summer season in 2018. Many wish to escape the heat of the Indian summer and spend their vacation in cooler climes like Switzerland. Winter on the other hand has always been a niche market.  

For decades, the Alpine nation has lured Indian tourists thanks to free publicity in the form of films that showcased its landscape in song and dance sequences. However, this waning trend has resulted in fewer young Indians being exposed to Switzerland. This could present a problem in the future considering that around 60% of Indian visitors to the country are under 35 years old, according to the Swiss Hotel Association.