Switzerland Tourism hosted up to 60 of the trade in Dublin’s Medley venue as the country reported a 11pc increase in visitor numbers from Ireland to the country. Swiss Airlines alone has boosted capactity for 2018 from Dublin, Cork and Shannon.
And the representatives from the country aimed to dispel the myth that Switzerland is expensive for a holiday. Helmut Kolb, from the Switzerland Travel Centre, Heidi Reisz, Switzerland Tourism, and Adrian Millan, Switzerland Travel Centre, were amazed by the cost of a beer in Dublin, saying “they’re Swiss prices and above”. Heidi told Travel Extra: “I bought a glass of wine and it was €6.50, which is almost the same, or more, than I’d pay in Swizerland.”
Helmut Kolb, Director, Switzerland Travel Centre; Heidi Reisz, Trade Manager, Switzerland Tourism; and Adrian Millan, Business Development & Group Manager, Switzerland Travel Centre, at the Swiss tourism event, Medley, Dublin
They unveiled what’s on offer to Irish tourists and are pushing next year’s message of ‘back to nature’, aiming for inbound travellers to visit in the summer, as well as winter, months. With 49 peaks of over 4,000 metres in Switzerland, Heidi is proud that “Austria doesn’t have mountains of our height” – a big bonus for snow-hunting skiers – while Helmut and Adrian said tie-ins with the picturesque rail network meant that it’s a case of “all you have to do is have a great time” for cyclists in particular.
There was a big trade turn-our of close to 60 at the event, organised by Aileen Eglington‘s AE Consulting. Corinne Genoud, Director for Britain & Ireland, Switzerland Tourism also attended the event, along with Leah Parmeshwar, Travel Department; Stephen Power, EI Travel Group; Caroline Doggett, Topflight for Schools; Terry Lambert, Hill Top Treks; Helen Fyfe, Swiss Airlines; The Ski Club of Ireland, Ski Association of Ireland, Mountaineering Ireland, and some of the key walking and cycling groups in Ireland as well as tour operators who provide Activity holidays, such as Crystal Holidays, Camino Ways; and The Travel Department.
