IndexP. ESTLE Analysis of Switzerland PoliticalSocial – CulturalTechnologyEnvironmentIntroduction to Switzerland In 1291 a beautiful country was born, a country with an area of 41,290 KM2, extending 348 KM from east to west and 220 KM from north to south. A country that in 2017 has 8,466,017 inhabitants (SP @ data. worldbank. org, nd ), divided into 64% Germans, 18% French, 12% Italians, 1% Romansh and 6% others. A landlocked country between Germany, France, Austria, Italy and Liechtenstein, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. A country whose population is expected to grow at a steady rate, as shown in Figure 4. A country that has maintained a political foreign takeover of neutrality through world wars and conflicts (Stefan Aeschimann, Emmanuel Bichet, Christian Catrina, Bozena Huser, Urban Kaufmann et al., n.d.). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay A country with landscapes and sceneries that have inspired artists and made lovers' dreams come true. The country being talked about right here is the lovely country of Switzerland. Market analysis of the Swiss tourism industryThe importance of the tourism industry in Switzerland In 1991, the Swiss tourism industry earned 7 dollars. 094 billion, of which 61% comes from foreign revenue and the total amount amounts to 6% of the country's GNP. Spending by foreigners in Switzerland is defined as exports of goods, and 14% of export earnings can be attributed to tourism, which is the country's "invincible" export. Furthermore, the tourism industry is one of the largest employers in Switzerland. In 1991 there were 300,000 employees working directly or indirectly with the industry (Diem, 1993). As time has passed, reality has slowly evolved and changed in various ways and above all for the better. In 2016, Switzerland's total revenue amounted to 46.7 billion, 20.3 billion came from tourist accommodation, meals and passenger transport and a percentage of the country's export earnings came from the tourism industry but, in contrast to this growth , tourism The industry fell to sixth place in the ranking of total export earnings, falling behind the watch industry, as shown in Figure 5. In 2017, it still remained one of the largest full-time employers in the country, as shown in Figure 6 (Swiss Tourism Federation, 2018 ). Supply and Demand in the Swiss Tourism IndustrySupply and demand is one of the fundamental concepts in business, supply refers to the quantity of a service or product that can be offered to a consumer and demand refers to the quantity of a product or service is desired by a customer (Bush, 2016). As for the tourism industry, the supply would correspond to the quantity of rooms available for tourists to stay and the demand would correspond to the customer arriving in the country. As seen in Figure 6, the total room supply in 2017 is 250,990 with 4,369 properties open. Demand in the Swiss tourism sector can also be seen in Figure 6 and is seen through tourist arrivals and stays. In 2017, 18,562,061 tourists arrived in Switzerland, a figure that has seen a constant increase over the years. The increase is usually due to the improvement of the economy in most countries and the increase in the spending power of families. AttractionSwitzerland is the country of snow, beauty and culture. According to Switzerland's main tourism website, there are countless tourist locations to visit and enjoy that, if all were written down, would be the size of an encyclopedia, so only a few will be named. First for shopping and stylelife, there is Zurich's Old Town with a variety of cultural offerings, a strip of shops selling designer labels and Swiss brands as far as the eye can see and all against a stunning medieval backdrop (Zurich's Old Town, nd ).Then for the adventurer in all of us there is Mount Titlis, a giant mountain 3062 m high where the new TITLIS Xpress gondola lift needs to go up to the intermediate station. Then the TITLIS Rotair, the first revolving cable car in the world, continues to the top. Along the way you will enjoy breathtaking views as you ascend towards the sky (Mount Titlis, n.d.). Then, if you're a naturist, then there's the UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch, which has seemingly endless moors, craggy karst rock formations and wild mountain streams that make the experience of the scenery absolutely breathtaking. Switzerland's first biosphere reserve offers indomitable beauty at its finest. Hardly any other region of Switzerland has as many natural treasures as the “Wild West” of Lucerne. (UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch, n.d.). Then there are those who are chocolate lovers and Chocolarium is Maestrani is the right place to satisfy a sweet tooth where guests are granted an understanding of the chocolate making processes. It starts with a film, followed by a look at the room with the raw materials and continues along an 80 meter glass tunnel to the hub of production. The tour is interactive, expressive, communicative and informative and answers the question of why chocolate means happiness(Maestrani Swiss Chocolate Factory, n.d.). There are countless other attractions that draw people in, these are just a taste of what's there. Key consumer segmentsAs noted in a study by Thomas Bieger and Christian Laesser (2002 ), the reasons for tourist travel to Switzerland are multiple. The main ones are compulsory travel, i.e. people who travel due to non-voluntary factors such as work or family problems. Then we have those who travel for cultural hedonism, which means they travel to spend time with their partner enjoying nature and cultural heritage. Then we have family trips, where the main purpose is to spend time with the family doing literally anything (Bieger and Laesser, 2002). German citizens, as shown in Figure 7, make up the majority of foreign tourists arriving in Switzerland in 2016, followed by Americans, British, French and Chinese (Swiss Statistics 2018, 2018)PESTLE Analysis of Switzerland PoliticsThe Confederation Switzerland, now made up of 26 cantons, has existed since 1848. The Federal Council is the government of Switzerland and is made up of 7 members. They are elected by both houses of Parliament: the National Council which represents the people which has 200 seats and the Council of States which has 46 seats. The Swiss political system is also characterized by extensive democratic rights and the popular vote. On the other hand, the Swiss have a direct democracy (Swiss Statistics 2018, 2018). In 2018, the Swiss are very proud of the fact that they have managed to maintain the ideal of neutrality in these turbulent times and this has served them well. With neutrality in place, Switzerland is politically stable, as demonstrated in World War II when the country could have collapsed if they had to take a stand, which provides relief to tourists entering the country as they need not fear wars breaking out . Switzerland has the second highest gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the world. At the end of 2015, Swiss GDP per capita amounted to 77,943 francs. Approximately 74% of Switzerland's GDP is generated by the service sector and 25% by industry (Swiss Economy – Facts and Figures, n.d.). Hiseconomic performance is supported by a well-developed banking sector, capital market and infrastructure. The threat that could arise from this is twofold: first, the country's extremely high currency could face deflation in the near future and, second, due to the high currency, Switzerland can only be limited to attracting wealthy tourists or middle class and some tourists may be put off. the country due to high prices. On the bright side, with the high price, Switzerland could maintain its illusion of prestige. Socio-Cultural Switzerland, with its excellent human development indicators, ranked 11th out of 187 countries according to the 2011 Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The country has a well-developed social security system and high wage levels, but the cost of living remains high. Social policies have been decentralized and responsibility for legislation and implementation lies with the cantons. The healthcare system is among the best in the world (MarketLine, 2012). This also spreads into the tourism industry because better healthcare and better wages, jobs will pour into any cracks that may exist in the system, the only downside is that with high wages, a high cost of living will exist, making life more difficult for citizens. Another concern that may arise from tourism is that the country's culture may be eroded, there is no evidence of this yet, but with the heavy influx of tourists, the culture will eventually have to evolve to suit preferences. Technology The very existence of technology is driving a change in the travel and tourism industry regarding how companies interact with customers. Augmented reality, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, voice technology, Wi-Fi connectivity and wearable devices are just some of the things that have started to appear in the tourism sector. Switzerland is the giant of technological innovation, endowed with excellent research-driven sectors such as biotechnology, life sciences, medical technology, ICT, shared services, microtechnology, nanotechnology and environmental technologies. Research and development (R&D)-intensive industries account for more than half of all industrial production in Switzerland (MarketLine, 2012). With all this innovation, the tourism industry will also benefit. Most hotels already offer free Wi-Fi, but with Switzerland, a country that prides itself on hospitality, technology can dehumanize business, so most hotels in rural areas have a more traditional feel. Since the changes depend on the location, most hotels are more futuristic. Legal Switzerland also adopted a tourism policy on 15 November 2017 with the aim of improving the framework conditions for tourism, including the landscape and architectural qualities of the country, promoting entrepreneurship which will increase productivity, enhancing the skills and competences of all actors, support structural change, strengthen the labor market in tourism, exploit the opportunities offered by the digital economy and increase the attractiveness of the tourism offer and market presence (“Tourism Strategy of the Swiss Confederation”, 2017). Furthermore, according to OECD data from 2015, Switzerland has the highest average annual salary compared to its fellow European countries, with the exception of Luxembourg. Foreign workers working in Switzerland have the right to be paid equivalent to the Swiss salary in their chosen profession. This rule is prescribed in the Federal Act on Appointments (Entsendegesetz) (salary, 2012)
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