The Swiss voice in the world since 1935

Switzerland’s ailing tourism sector turns to Federer for help

Roger Federer
The money he gets from Switzerland Tourism will go towards helping disadvantaged children in Switzerland, Federer said. Keystone / Mark Dadswell

Swiss tennis star Roger Federer has been recruited as an “ambassador” to help promote his home country’s tourism sector, which has been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The winner of 20 grand slam titles has begun a long-term collaboration with Switzerland Tourism to help promote its “energising nature” and attract guests, the national tourism board said on Monday.

“I’ve always felt like I’ve represented Switzerland, not just through the Olympic Games or team competitions,” said Federer, who turns 40 in August.

“I’ve been very proud to do that for the 22 years that I’ve been on tour. I’ve always felt like an ambassador to the country so to do this was a logical step.”

Tourism crisis

Switzerland Tourism said they were planning joint promotional projects worldwide, beginning in European cities, followed by the United States, then Asia and the Pacific region.

“The support is urgently needed right now, after the biggest tourism crisis since the Second World War,” it said.

The Swiss hotel sector registered a 40% drop in overnight stays in 2020 compared with 2019. Foreign demand fell by 66% as tourists stayed away due to the pandemic, latest statistics show.

Federer and Switzerland Tourism have not revealed exactly how much he will earn for his tourism work. But they said the money would go towards his foundation, which helps disadvantaged children in Switzerland and southern Africa. The tennis star said the funds would be invested in playgrounds in Switzerland.

More

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

House price rises accelerate

More

Swiss property prices continue to climb

This content was published on The prices of owner-occupied properties continued to rise in the first three months of 2025. But large regional disparities remain.

Read more: Swiss property prices continue to climb
The storm from the USA continues to sweep through the Swiss stock market

More

US storm continues to sweep through Swiss stock market

This content was published on The Swiss stock market continued to trade in the red mid-afternoon on Monday, following in the wake of the world's stock markets, which fell heavily as a result of the trade war launched by Donald Trump.

Read more: US storm continues to sweep through Swiss stock market
Swiss vote on e-ID likely

More

Swiss likely to vote on e-ID

This content was published on The referendum committee announced in Bern on Monday that it had collected more than 60,000 signatures against the e-ID project. The initials still need to be approved.

Read more: Swiss likely to vote on e-ID
Increase in offences committed by minors in Ticino

More

Crimes committed by minors increase in Ticino

This content was published on The number of offences committed by minors in canton Ticino, southern Switzerland, rose by over 20% in 2024 compared to the previous year.

Read more: Crimes committed by minors increase in Ticino

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR