Abu Dhabi 21 Feb 2015 - A tourism delegation from the Swiss city of Lausanne signed cooperation agreements with a number of travel agencies in the UAE following seminars it held in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Al Ain to highlight tourism in that country.

"We are in the process of signing agreements with Dnata and other key travel agencies in the country to attract more visitors to Switzerland during summer and the holidays season," said Walter Loser, an adviser at Lausanne tourism authority.

He said the UAE has the second largest number of Middle East tourists to Switzerland after Saudi Arabia, followed by Kuwait, Qatar and Oman.

The number of visitors to Switzerland from the GCC countries surged by 23 per cent in 2014 and nearly 12 per cent of them were from the UAE, he said.

Mr Loser said the delegation met travel agents in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Al Ain and explained to them developments in the tourism sector in Switzerland, adding that the Lausanne tourism authority is seeking to attract more visitors and develop business, education and health care tourism in his city.

He said Lausanne has 67 hotels comprising nearly 3,900 rooms and that occupancy rates remain as high as 86 per cent. He said new hotels would be opened in the city shortly, including the five-star Royal Savoy in June.

He also said the Olympic Museum, one of the most famous museums in Europe, has been re-opened following $30-million rehabilitation and expansion work. He added that the Lausanne tourism authority would take part in the Arab Travel Market conference due to be held in Dubai in May.

© Press Release 2015