Tourism & Hospitality | Thursday 23 April, 2015 2:56 pm |

Geneva Tourism, one of Switzerland’s official tourist boards, has announced, yet again, its participation in the Arabian Travel Market, taking place on May 4, 2015. Geneva Tourism has been associated with the GCC for many years and is happy be to back to participate in one of the biggest travel events in the region. As an active player in the in the GCC, Geneva Tourism plans to focus on endorsing the city as a leisure and corporate travel destination.

Conveniently located in the heart of Europe, Geneva is the perfect gateway to Switzerland. It not only has one of the country’s most spectacular landscapes, it is also well known for its excellent quality of life. The city knows how to welcome its guests with great activities, ultimate shopping experiences, as well as Switzerland’s most refined dining tables.

Geneva has much more to offer than what people come to expect from it. Not many people know, but it is known as the gastronomy capital of Switzerland and has 140 ethnic restaurants representing 5 continents and more than 30 nationalities (including halal). With 55 restaurants awarded by the Michelin and Gault Millau guides, Geneva definitely has great taste. And that’s not all. Each March, Geneva becomes one of the automobile capitals of the world, hosting one of the biggest automobile exhibition – the Geneva Motor Show. The city also has many boutiques where you can discover all the prestigious international brands and a choice of watches you will not find anywhere else. Geneva also offers a host of outdoor activities like water sports, nature parks and much more.

Last year, Geneva was nominated as Europe’s Leading City Break Destination at the World Travel Award and was voted Europe’s Leading City Break Destination, 2014. Facing prestigious competitors such as Paris, London, Madrid, Rome or Dublin, the award proves that Geneva has all the assets to be an attractive leisure destination.

GCC’s tourist outflow to Europe has witnessed a steady increase over the past few years and the number of GCC tourists visiting Geneva in 2014 saw a 9.7% increase compared to 2013. During this period, there was a total of 219’812 overnights. The highest percentage of these tourists were from Saudi Arabia, followed by the UAE. Saudi tourists have also been ranked first in terms of daily tourist expenditure worldwide.

“We have a strong affinity with the GCC and we’re happy to see an increase in GCC tourism to Geneva”, said Philippe Vignon, General Manager at Geneva Tourism. “Geneva has welcomed people from the GCC for the last few decades and, as a result, we understand the changing needs of this market and have evolved accordingly. With our participation in the Arabian Travel Market 2015, we plan to showcase Geneva in all its glory”, he added.

The Arabian Travel Market has been the region’s most popular travel event for 21 years, helping travel houses interact and network to enhance their businesses. ATM 2015 promises to be bigger than ever, with the theme of ‘Family Travel’, focusing on Travel technology, luxury and wellness.