Published on : Friday, December 8, 2017
Media reports stated that the China-Switzerland Year of Tourism concluded on Thursday in Lausanne, Switzerland. China’s Tourism Administration chief Li Jinzao, said at the closing ceremony that there were over 1.2 million two-way visits between China and Switzerland in 2017, which was up 12 per cent year-on-year.
According to Alain Gaschen, minister and deputy head of mission at the Swiss Embassy to China, Switzerland’s tourist visa application refusal is below two per cent for Chinese citizens.
With around 40 flights between the two countries every week, China has become the fourth largest source market of tourists for Switzerland (behind Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom) and “the number is still increasing”.
Simon Bosshart, an official with Switzerland Tourism, said that Switzerland’s resorts are becoming more and more ready to welcome Chinese guests.
“Ten (out of 19) ski resorts are providing Chinese ski instructors following previous requests for Chinese language ski lessons”, he told reporters from Xinhua.
In his message, Xi stressed the achievements that China and Switzerland had made during this year, which “enhanced mutual understanding between the two peoples and promoted bilateral communication and cooperation in such areas as culture, economy and trade, injecting fresh impetus to the development of China-Switzerland relations”.
The tourism year was launched by Xi and his Swiss counterpart Doris Leuthard in Davos on January 17, 2017.
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to mark the closing ceremony on Thursday.
Tags: China-Switzerland, Year of Tourism