Lets face it, the Swiss population have a bad reputation for being unfriendly hosts. There are thousands of stories out there of skiers leaving the Swiss Alps with a very bad impression of the local population. Some cite this unfriendliness as one of the major factors leading to a downturn in skier visits to the Swiss Alps.
In response to significant drops in tourism rates and perceived “lack of friendliness,” a new government funded project is teaching people in mountain resorts, like St. Moritz, how to kiss a little ass and be more friendly.
As of December 2012, Projekt Herzlichkeit (Project Friendliness) has coached “warmth and affability to over 1,050 people.” Fadri Cazin, a project coach, says that at first the locals are reluctant to change their ways “but then at the end of the seminar you hear, ‘Oh no, okay, there are a few things we could change.”
Switzerland Tourism Facts:
Drop in tourism between 2008 and 2011:
- Overnight stays, total Switzerland (down 4.9%)
- Overnight stays, total Swiss Alpine region (down 9.6%)
- Overnight stays, Swiss tourists (down 0.5%)
- Overnight stays, Europeans (excluding Swiss) (down 15.6%)
- Overnight stays, overseas visitors (down 8.2%)
Tourists in 2011, by region:
- 44.4% of tourists in Switzerland came from Switzerland;
- 39.8% came from non-Swiss Europe;
- 8.3% came from Asia;
- 6% came from North America;
- 0.8% came from Africa;
- and 0.8% came from Australia and New Zealand.
- Photo: BugBog