Swiss Tourism Benefits From Euro Introduction

by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels

15 January 2002

According to reports, the Swiss tourist industry has benefitted from the introduction of the euro in many of the countries surrounding it, and has adapted easily.

According to the head of Switzerland Tourism, Heinz Keller, the introduction of the euro has made it easier for travellers to compare hotel and holiday prices cross-border.

'For the very first time, all the guests have full transparency on the prices all over the country, all over the Alps,' he explained. 'That means for instance, people in France or in Belgium, who have always had the idea that Switzerland is extremely expensive, can check out what is the real difference between a ski holiday in the French Alps or in Lake Geneva Alps. People are quite surprised that Switzerland is not as expensive as thought.'

Meanwhile, in the resorts themselves, the changeover has created few problems, as the country's sophisticated financial sector and central location have meant that the majority of Swiss citizens and workers are unphased by the new currency.

Hans Danuser, the Director of the Tourism Authority in the border resort of St Moritz, believes that the euro introduction in other European countries may make cross-border transactions less, rather than more, complicated: 'We are very close to the border,' he explained. 'We have always been in a position where we use several currencies. I think at least 50% of our visitors are from the European Union.'

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