On November 17th-19th, the 2020 International Mountain Tourism Alliance Annual Conference opened in Guiyang. The Conference is concentrated on the theme of "The Path of Mountain Tourism Development in the Post-COVID World". During the annual conference, the participants focused on this major topic, and discuss depth in how to promote the revitalization and quality of mountain tourism after the pandemic, and provide thoughts guidance and practice support for global mountain tourism management and promotion of global tourism industry.

This Annual Conference is hosted by the International Mountain Tourism Alliance. UNWTO, WTTC, PATA, GTEF, WTA, WTCF, ASEAN-China Centre, WCCO and other well-know international organizations and associations provided powerful support.

Vice chairman Mr. Shao,  Secretary-General Mr. He, distinguished guests from the counselor and diplomatic here in China. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. 

A warm welcome from Switzerland to you all. It is my great pleasure to be here today. Actually, it is my very first time I have traveled here since I started my position as counselor general in Chengdu. I arrived there pretty much fourteen months ago. I spent the first three months very hectically in Chengdu and Sichuan and then, with everything in order, was ready to get ready to go to Switzerland for the Chinese new year and then come here. 

But unfortunately, this tiny little virus has stopped all of my plans for the last year. And it has also, I think, affected all of us quite tremendously. It has not been easy for all of us and especially not easily for many of us present here today that are in the travel business. Particularly in international travel business. 

Before I go a bit deeper into the topic, I would like to mention that this year Switzerland, we are celebrating the 70 anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Swiss confederation and the people’s republic of China. We have an ambitious plan. Our events throughout 2020 under the umbrella of the topic of smart and sustainability. With innovative technology and smart ways of communication available, but unfortunately, we had to call all events off in the first half of 2020. Therefore, I’m very glad to be here today with the mountain tourism professionals and talk about what the world has been longing for. The nature, the mountains. COVID-19 has brought many changes to our everyday life, the way we live, study and travel. And some are temporary and some may be profound. We cannot turn a blind eye to the changes that have already happened and are happening in consumer’s behaviors and demands. 

Looking at the figures of the Chinese traveling to Switzerland, the Chinese market experienced a steady growth in terms of overnight hotels since 2008, except for a short drop in 2015 and 2016. Majority of the travels come from tier one cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and acting for about two-thirds, 63 percent. 

The most visited regions include Rigi region where I grew up and the SDURic region and 46 percent of the visitors like to go to the mountains. While that is where I would live and spend my Christmas this year if I could leave. This is from my hometown and actually from my house where I usually spend my vacations so I do miss it. 

It’s in the mountains. Yes, it’s beautiful! 69.5 percent of Chinese travelers prefer to go to Switzerland in the summer season but this is only one side of Switzerland. With the growing popularity of winter sports among Chinese consumers, with winter travel to Switzerland, it may also be soon catching up. As Switzerland is indeed, an all seasons destination for all. 

Which segments do our guests belong to? Nature’s lover, snow loves, attraction tourists and out door enthusiasts take up to 86 percent. All mountains are related to these segments and are the core competence of the Swiss tourism industry. Looking at the traveling to Switzerland after COVID-19, it’s not surprisingly a dying figure out of minus 22 percent for greater China in July and August this year. 

Traveling is not yet possible and no recovery is yet in sight. The recovery of the market will depend on cross border traffic ability and the willingness to travel and how well the COVID-19 risk is managed. Some changes are already happening and may affect future trends. For example, in a survey conducted by the consulting company, the self-guided self-driven market grew while guided packages have fallen dramatically in popularity with only 10 percent of travelers saying they will take a group tour for the next trip. 68 percent don’t even consider group travel any longer. 

Besides relaxing and local culture, safety, not crowded, active and healthy are on the rise on what attracts the Chinese smart travelers the most. I see great potential in Switzerland in Chinese and mountain tourism in general. 

Faced with the current situation, we cannot just all sit and wait. Switzerland tourism has been officially actively promoting travel information on its official web sites. A recovery sales promotion "buy now, travel later" has been in place since Q2 2020,s and will progressively carry on to Q1, 2022. 

Let me close by looking ahead. I see immense opportunities in the Chinese travel market for Switzerland which is in doubt with beautiful and natural sceneries, mountains that can cater to a wide range of needs of sight seeking and vigorous activities of mountain and skiing. We are working together to cope with the challenges in this very difficult times and I am confidence that as the growing law among Chinese people for winter sports, Switzerland will be visited again, by more and more Chinese travelers. 

Switzerland will be happy to share our experience in turns our beautiful mountains into heated site that people are all over the world want to enjoy and repeatedly visit. The embassy of Switzerland are on the ground to offer facilitation for such exchanges and cooperation. I hope that soon the national borders open up to each other and that people can travel, and explore the world freely, once again as we are all used to. 

I would like to end my presentation with a short message from one mountain country Switzerland, to another mountain province, as well as China with the slogan of Switzerland tourism. 

Dream now, travel later. Switzerland will welcome you very soon again.