PHILIPPINE tourism officials started reviving the country?s promotion efforts in affluent Switzerland, with a recent sales mission in Zurich.

The daylong event came on the heels of the Department of Tourism?s participation in the World Travel Market in London.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano and Undersecretary Edu Jarque skipped the Zurich leg for other pressing concerns. In their place were Frankfurt-based tourism attaché Venus Tan and her two-man team of Arnold and Dakila Gonzales, PR and marketing managers, respectively.

From UK to Switzerland

Representatives of the private sector, including some of the biggest tour operators and resorts such as Blue Horizons, Ansett Holidays, Shroff and El Nido, also flew in to join the Zurich sales mission.

Before the night was over, the packed Blumenhalle events place turned into a Pinoy fiesta, with endless servings of food and drinks, including fresh Philippine mangoes. Bayanihan Dancers and TGIFriday?s champion flair bartender Matthew Ryan Burgos provided entertainment.

Despite being relegated to fourth place in recent years, after the UK, Germany and France, Switzerland remains an important source of tourists. Like most Europeans, the Swiss, apart from having the money to spend, go on extended holidays lasting up to three weeks.

Based on a DOT study, Swiss tourists outspend people from the UK, Germany and France. Only the Russians, who rank fifth in tourist arrivals, spend more.

They also love to combine culture tours and beach holidays in such preferred destinations as Boracay, Bohol, Palawan, Cebu and Banaue. With their preference for eco-tourism and high-end properties, the Swiss are like the French and Russians rolled into one.

?During the market?s peak in the ?80s, close to 50,000 Swiss nationals came to the Philippines annually,? said Tan. ?Due to natural and man-made disasters, arrivals dwindled over the years.?

The situation has begun to improve the last three years. In the first seven months of 2008, more than 17,000 Swiss tourists (representing a 6.5 percent growth from the same period last year) visited the country.

?Still, that?s a far cry from what we were able to achieve,? said Tan. ?It may not be that easy to jumpstart a market, but it?s not as difficult as it seems.?

Tan added, a good number of Swiss know about the Philippines and have fond memories of it. They love the tropics, especially in winter.

Something new

After doing Thailand almost every year, the Swiss, especially the more adventurous, want something new. The Philippines, with the help of Gretz Communications, a Swiss PR firm DOT tapped early this year, should be an alternative.

?The Philippines has plenty of attractions,? said Simone Wasserfallen, senior PR consultant of Gretz. ?You have beaches, nature and almost everything the Swiss are looking for.

?Swiss people are very good repeaters. Sixty percent are likely to go back if they like a destination.?

Undeterred

Despite travel advisories from European governments to avoid certain places here, the Swiss remain undeterred in their pursuit of the perfect holiday. The global economic downturn may not be a major concern for them either.

Since travel is no longer a luxury but a necessity to them, they will still go on overseas holidays regardless of the economy. Typical Philippine tour package is between $3,000 and $3,500 per person.

?Strong European currencies are making travel to the Philippines cheaper and more attractive,? said Tan.

Apart from the dearth of luxury properties in the country, the lack of direct flights to the Philippines from Europe has been a major concern for DOT. Only KLM flies daily from Amsterdam to Manila.

?The Swiss won?t mind paying extra to get a direct flight,? said Wasserfallen. ?Since that?s impossible at the moment, they have to get connecting flights in various cities.?

Tan and Wasserfallen, however, cited the increased capacity of other airlines, particularly those based in the Middle East, to provide more connecting flights.