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Just the ticket
Keeping a printing tradition alive
More and more train tickets are printed by computers; the traditional card ticket is today rarely used. The Aeschbacher company in Worb near Bern still cuts these and prints them with lead type. [...]
Corporate taxes
Swiss set to tackle divisive fiscal reform
Murder questions
Papers rue failings of house arrest system
Corporate taxes
Swiss set to tackle divisive fiscal reform
Under pressure from the European Union the Swiss government has outlined plans to scrap controversial tax privileges for international firms. But the reform risks undermining the complex federal fiscal system and leading to a major drop in revenue. [...]
Chinese readers react
Profit at the expense of moral values
Safe and sound
Red Cross hostages freed in Yemen
Swiss banking woes
Minister says end to US tax dispute in sight
Swiss Finance Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf says a resolution may be not far off to end a long-running dispute with the United States over Swiss banks accused of helping wealthy Americans evade billions of dollars of taxes. [...]
Changes at the top
Surprise shake-up marks Glencore Xstrata meeting
Formula for success
Chinese parents drive baby milk powder boom
Gymnastics coach
'It’s a great feeling to fly, to twist, to rotate'
Although his profession is teaching business, Reto Marthaler’s passion is gymnastics. He spends hundreds of hours per year organising local and regional boys’ programmes. The sport is on his mind “every day, every hour, every second”. [...]
Nadja Räss
Breaking the mould as a Swiss yodeller
Stem cell research
Cord blood – sound investment or pricey frill?
Umbilical cord blood holds precious stem cells. At some Swiss hospitals, mothers can donate their baby's supply to research. But some labs have privatised the practice, and not everyone is sure it’s worth the cost. (SRF/swissinfo.ch) [...]
Cancer discovery
New imaging gives insight into tumours’ travels
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In depth
Tourism boom
Chinese visitors arrive in record numbers
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Chinese tourists in front of the Reformation Wall in Geneva (Keystone)
Last year more tourists came to Switzerland from China than from traditional visitor countries such as Italy, the Netherlands or Japan.
“We’re looking at 830,000-840,000 overnight stays by Chinese guests in 2012,” Daniela Bär from Switzerland Tourism told the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper.
In total, 600,000 Chinese tourists came to Switzerland, an increase of 25 per cent on the previous year.
Most tourists to Switzerland still come from Germany, but Bär says because their number is declining, that could soon change.
“The rapidly growing middle class in China offers a massive potential for Switzerland, which enjoys an excellent image over there,” she said.
“We think a quadrupling of Chinese visitors within ten years is realistic.”
At present the most popular destinations for the Chinese are Lucerne, Interlaken, Zurich and Geneva.
“We’re now organising new tours throughout the country so other regions can also benefit, such as Engadine, Valais, Ticino and Appenzell,” Bär explained.
The watch industry is one of the main beneficiaries of this Chinese boom, according to consultants KPMG. Many Chinese tourists prefer to buy luxury watches here because they know they won’t be buying an imitation.
Milestone
Swiss invest in innovation to boost tourism
Switzerland’s natural beauty is no longer enough to draw tourists. Each year, the government sets aside millions to promote and reward innovation in tourism. One new project teaches people in mountain resorts how to be nice. [...]
Staying away
Tourism hard hit by fewer Europeans
The Swiss tourism sector was again badly hit in summer largely due to the strong Swiss franc. New figures show half a million fewer hotel overnight stays compared with the same period in 2011, mainly due to a drop in European visitors. [...]
Flipside of winter fun
Alps scarred by tourism industry
Photographer Lois Hechenblaikner exposes the ugly face of winter tourism. The pictures, videos and installations of the Austrian artist - currently on show at the Swiss Alpine Museum in Bern - raise questions about the impact on the alpine environment. [...]
Cities come up trumps
Winners and losers in Swiss tourism
The strong franc has scared off many American and European visitors who once came to the alpine country in droves. Classic tourist destinations have been hardest hit. But Swiss cities have found ways to continue drawing crowds. [...]
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