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IN ORDER to celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Switzerland this year, tourism is a personal way to strengthen relations between the people closer together of the two countries. With the theme “Beyond the Snow: A Swiss Winter for the Senses”, Switzerland Tourism held its 2026 annual media briefing at Urban Forest Cipete, South Jakarta.
According to H.E Kostantin Obolensky, Swiss Ambassador-designate to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, ASEAN, who hosted his first meeting with journalists on (Tuesday, 11/03), 2026, said that I invited Indonesian media colleagues to get to know the other side of winter in Switzerland which offers much more interesting experiences than just snow views and skiing.
“I can assure you that Swiss winter is about much more than snow and skiing. It is also about our cities, traditions, food, and the many experiences that make each region unique. While Switzerland is internationally recognised for its spectacular Alpine landscapes and world class winter sports, the country offers a much wider range of experiences for travellers seeking culture, gastronomy, relaxation and adventure,” the Ambassador said.
The Ambassador explained that beyond destination promotion, the Annual Media Briefing provided an opportunity for Switzerland Tourism to reconnect with Indonesian media, share updates from its tourism partners and explore new travel stories relevant to Indonesian audiences.
“Through “Beyond the Snow: A Swiss Winter for the Senses,” Switzerland Tourism hopes to inspire more Indonesian travellers to discover the country’s diverse winter experiences and see Switzerland not simply as a destination to visit, but as a place to experience and remember,” H.E Kostantin Obolensky affirmed.
Meanwhile Ms. Ferani Heng, Market Representatives-Switzerland Tourism, Indonesia said a growing number of Switzerland tourism destinations are taking a fresh look at Southeast Asia (ASEAN) tourists, it’s now a prime source market for Switzerland tourism overhaul. With bigger group ASEAN travelers that’s they are already prepared to gain traction after post-pandemic for Switzerland tourism to reawakening.
“Asians are staying longer, coming in bigger groups and offer huge potential for FIT (Free Individual Travel), family and incentive travel. The matured markets of Singapore (34.8%), Thailand (25.8%) , Malaysia (17.0%) are stable while Vietnam (15.3%) is seeing huge growth. Indonesia (11.0%) and Philippines (11.4%) meanwhile are seeing slight increments. Indonesia which as we targeted more and more to come,” she noted.
Throughout the year in Switzerland, this figure is actually said to have not shown an optimal positive increase, because in the previous months, namely January to July 2026, the decline in tourist visits still dominated due to the global economic crisis and the Iran-US war which greatly affected the number of tourist visits.
“If accumulated as a whole, January-September saw quite a decrease. However, Switzerland Tourism hopes that this number can increase positively, especially towards the end of the year welcoming the Christmas and New Year holidays 2026-2027,” she said.
However, when asked what are the expectations regarding the number of Indonesian tourists visiting Switzerland next year? She immediately answered for Indonesian tourists visiting, we can’t predict yet and we don’t have any target yet, because the problem of currency differences is still high at the moment and not to mention the ongoing global economic problems.
Likewise, when she was asked which destinations are particularly popular among Indonesian tourists visiting Switzerland? The five activities most popular with Indonesian tourists in Switzerland include the Swiss Travel Pass, Swiss Half Fare Card (half price access for train, bus, boat, and cable car tickets), Interlaken and Grindelwald Tours, Zurich City Tours and Tours, and Lindt Home of Chocolate in Zurich.
Due to that, the Ambassador H.E Kostantin Obolensky also added that we are expecting and believing that the Indonesia’s is one of the fastest-growing markets, with the big population compare with other ASEAN countries. Growth is expected to be sustained for those of you holiday lovers filled with snow; this country is indeed the most suitable to visit.
“Southeast Asia is the fastest growing market in Asia-Pacific. Switzerland Tourism data records that the number of Indonesian tourists staying in Switzerland even grew 11% from January to July 2023, when compared to the same period in 2019,” he stated.
Entering winter in Europe, the Ambassador continued that surely many people want to be able to visit the winter country. One of them is Switzerland. For those of you holiday lovers filled with snow, this country is indeed the most suitable to visit. Snow tourist attractions for famous skiing there are in Zermatt, a small town located right on the border with Italy and surrounded by high towering mountains.
“Through “Beyond the Snow: A Swiss Winter for the Senses,” Switzerland Tourism hopes to inspire more Indonesian travellers to discover the country’s diverse winter experiences and see Switzerland not simply as a destination to visit, but as a place to experience and remember,” the Ambassador concluded. [traveltext.id]
