The resumption of direct flights between Singapore and Zurich is making it easier for travellers from this part of the world to experience Swiss hospitality first hand.迷你倉價錢 By VINCENT WEEIN THE world of tourism, few things embody the positive relations between two countries better than the establishment of direct flight connections by their respective national carriers.This year marks the relaunch of Swiss International Airlines' (SWISS) direct flights between Singapore and Zurich. Although a point of pride for many of the Swiss living in Singapore, the decision to reinstate the flights, which were cut in 2009 at the height of the global financial crisis, was a strongly commercial one."There has been growing travel demand from both business and leisure travellers between Singapore and Switzerland," said Magdalene Ong, SWISS country manager, Singapore. "Tourism arrivals from South-east Asia to Switzerland have shown an increase of approximately 30 per cent over the last three years," she added.The reintroduction of the flights, serviced with SWISS's latest Airbus A340 aircraft, is not only a boon for business travellers but is also expected to boost tourism links between the two countries. As it is there is a reasonable level of traffic between Singapore and Switzerland.According to Singapore Tourism Board figures, arrivals from Switzerland amounted to 79,023 in 2011 and officials estimate that full-year figures for the whole of 2012 will come up to about 86,000. Last year, the number of Singapore visitors to Switzerland increased by about 28 per cent to 70,565 arrivals, according to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office."With the introduction of the SWISS flight, the ties between the two strong business and financial centres in Europe and South-east Asia will be further enhanced," Ms Ong said, pointing to the convenience of the daily night flight and good onward connections from Zurich to more than 49 European destinations as well as the east coast of the United States as plus factors.While SWISS has no plans at the moment to expand its services, it has seen encouraging response. "We think that our current flight schedule between Switzerland and Singapore fully corresponds to the demand on that route," said Ms Ong. "The booking development looks promising and meets our expectations. In addition, we have received very positive feedback from customers and they are delighted that we are back on the route."Another benefit of the resumption of the flight has been the additional air cargo capacity it brings. With SWISS's return to Singapore also comes the re-entry of its air freight arm Swiss WorldCargo into the Singapore market, and it is setting its sights squarely on the key pharmaceutical industry.The airline's decision has been driven as much by cargo demand as the passenger market. Singapore has always been a strong sector for SWISS's cargo division. Demand in the high-yield niches such as pharmaceuticals that the carrier has been targeting remains strong. There has also been good response from other special segments such as express, mail and valuables.In addition to the national airline, which began its direct flights in May this year, other Swiss companies are also active in the tourism space and showcasing the uniquely Swiss experience in Singapore.Swiss heritageFor example, the internationally renowned Swiss?tel chain has a major presence in Singapore with its flagship Swiss?tel The Stamford in the heart of the city. The company is proud of its Swiss heritage and bills itself as Singapo迷你倉庫e's towering icon of Swiss hospitality, where one can experience the finest in Swiss hospitality.Among the highlights is the hotel's Cafe Swiss bistro which regularly showcases an array of comforting and authentic Swiss delicacies at its lunch and dinner buffets."True to our Swiss heritage, we are privileged to bring our synonymous quality excellence, intuitive reliability and genuine hospitality to the community in Singapore for the past decade and remain steadfast in elevating Switzerland's presence as well as values in this multi-cultural and vibrant city," said Swiss?tel The Stamford managing director Aiden McAuley."Swiss National Day is an important occasion that marks the founding of the confederation, symbolising unity and harmony, and so on behalf of our colleagues and management at Swiss?tel The Stamford, we wish everyone many more years of happiness and prosperity to come," he added."One of South-east Asia's tallest hotels, Swiss?tel The Stamford has been rooted in the heart of the city and is a towering icon of distinctiveness and resilience, having experienced evolving sets of economic challenges through the years that have impacted both the hospitality and travel trade industries," said Mr McAuley."What lies ahead of us will be a result of closer ties and cooperation with the local community in augmenting the tourism landscape through leveraging on the natural commitment of the Swiss to delivering enhanced experiences and innovation. Likewise at Swiss?tel The Stamford, we are unanimously on a constant mission to providing the best to our guests through our passion for perfection."On the flipside, Switzerland is also very keen to encourage tourists to visit. And the Swiss tourism authorities emphasise that they are trying to draw people away from the outdated notion that Switzerland is only a land of chocolate, the Alps and cuckoo clocks.Tourism is an important industry in Switzerland, comprising the third biggest export industry and employing around 10 per cent of the Swiss workforce. The country boasts a unique array of things to see and do and has much to offer the tourist, with some of the highest mountains on the continent, bustling urban centres and colourful Swiss festivals.Although Switzerland is usually known for its outstanding natural beauty, the country's main urban centres also offer a diverse and lively array of cultural attractions. They are an interesting study in low-density city living and illustrate how there can be a good balance between an urban and rural population, even in a country with a small land area.Switzerland's biggest cities of Zurich, Geneva, Bern, Basel and Lausanne count their permanent resident populations in the hundreds of thousands rather than the millions. The largest city, Zurich, only had 377,000 people in 2011. Meanwhile, just over a quarter of the total population lived in rural areas in 2011, according to the annual population statistics.The drive to attract more tourists to Switzerland has been boosted by the opening of the Switzerland Tourism office here last June. Among the highlights it wants to emphasise are the different experiences the Alpine country offers, with four seasons and the natural beauty of the mountains.Meanwhile, factors such as safety, English-speaking people and excellent public transportation are reasons why Switzerland is increasingly popular among families and those who like to travel free-and-easy, while the image of Switzerland as being a very expensive place is a misconception that needs to be disproved.儲存
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