Swiss consulate closure won’t affect Saudi tourism

The consul general of Switzerland, Hans Stalder, believes that the closure of the consulate in Jeddah will not negatively affect Saudi tourism to his country.
Closing the Swiss Consulate “will be a chance to facilitate [the issuance of visas], because the external visa provider could open side offices in other cities of the Kingdom,” stated the consul general.
Stalder confirmed that the consulate would not close before an external company assumes its responsibilities in providing visas, most likely in the beginning of 2014. International tenders have now been opened, he added.
The consul general was speaking on the sidelines of the Annual Press Conference of Switzerland Tourism, the 10th consecutive and probably last conference held in Jeddah’s Rosewood Corniche. The conference is part of the visit by a delegation of Switzerland Tourism and a number of representatives of various tourist fields and regions in Switzerland to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states from Feb. 9 to 14. Switzerland Tourism is a public federal establishment that aims to promote Switzerland as a destination for travel, tourism, business, and conferences.
It is the first time the delegation visits four different cities in the Kingdom: Jeddah, Dammam, Riyadh and Qassim.
Stalder said that the mountains, greenery, public transport, good restaurants, and numerous programs the country offers for children made Switzerland an attractive destination for Saudis.
During the conference, which mainly focused on leisure tourism, it was announced that the summer campaign would carry the theme “Living Traditions”, celebrating 150 years of tourism in the small Alpine country. Representatives of various regions, including Zurich, Bern, Interlaken, Lucerne, and — for the first time this year — Gstaad, were present to promote tourism to their areas in particular.
The delegation, which organizes workshops and visits travel agencies as well as companies, also focuses on health and education during their visit. The new marketing cooperative Swiss Health, established two years ago, promotes university hospitals and private clinics throughout the country and helps clients find the right treatment.
On education, the consul said a large number of Saudi families have sent their children to private schools in Switzerland over the last 10 to 20 years. The government now tries to attract students to their universities as well as vocational training institutes, although he admitted the latter was “a bit difficult to propagate in Saudi Arabia, because there is no foundation for vocational jobs.”
Switzerland is also a designated destination for health and therapeutic cures, according to Jorg Peter Krebs, IMEA director and head of the delegation. Medical tourism is therefore a very important industry and many Saudis visit Switzerland for the excellent health care facilities provided, he added.
Krebs thanked the Swiss consulate for supporting tourism, adding, “Of course we will intensify our relationship with the local representatives and we will increase our investments. Jeddah is a very important city that’s why we appointed our representative here three years ago.”
The GCC is ranked among the top five strategic growth markets for Switzerland Tourism. According to statistics published by it, the number of Saudi tourists to Switzerland reached 62,384 tourists from January to November 2012, or 39 percent of the GCC market share. Saudi Arabia occupies the first position in the GCC in terms of the number of tourists visiting the country.