Cruising to Switzerland

Switzerland Benefits from Cruises

The Swiss city of Basel is fast becoming an important and popular hub among Australian travellers, especially the cruise enthusiasts.

Bordering with France and Germany and divided by the River Rhine, Basel is a vital waterway and port where many European cruises start and finish.

Director of Switzerland Tourism Australia and New Zealand, Evelyn Lafone, says the consistent year-on-year increase in cruise-goers from Australia has consequently given rise to the number of Australians visiting Basel and other Swiss cities.

"Our records show that Basel alone enjoyed a double digit increase of 11.2% of Australian overnights in 2013 when compared to the previous year," says Evelyn.

"Given the unique positioning of Basel, not only do travellers enjoy spending time exploring the region, hopping over to France and Germany during their stay, more often than not, they also embark on day excursions to other Swiss cities like Zurich or Lucerne, which are only within an hour's reach by train, or to Interlaken which is two hours away," she says.

 Evelyn attributes the convenience of the Swiss Pass to continuously encourage travellers to explore more of the country as opposed to just the city they are in pre or post cruise.

 "More Australian travellers including the cruise enthusiasts are learning about and understanding the efficiency of the Swiss Pass and how it offers them even more travel opportunities in addition to their cruise itineraries," she adds. "As such, we will continue to work closely with cruise providers to further promote the use of the Swiss Pass pre and post cruises from Basel."

Basel is a part of many European cruise itineraries offered by Globus, Scenic, APT, Viking Cruises, Avalon Waterways, Tauck River Cruising and many others.


For other news or information on Switzerland, visit www.myswitzerland.com