Jungfrau Railways expect around 15,000 visitors from China in 2007. However, Urs Kessler sees great long-term growth potential. Consequently it is particularly important to develop and position the Top of Europe as an independent brand.
In cooperation with Switzerland Tourism, Jungfrau Railways has forged a new path with the Swiss Jungfrau Golf Trophy. The golf tournament, which began in China and now ends with the Fun Games on the Jungfraujoch, will quite deliberately appeal to an affluent target group.
100,000 Chinese on the Jungfraujoch in the long term
On Wednesday, Urs Kessler and Simon Bosshart presented the media with first-hand information. According to Urs Kessler, in the long term, Jungfrau Railways reckons on acquiring 100,000 visitors from China with the strong Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe brand. All activities are to be oriented towards building up brand awareness and are to take into account the high degree of price sensitivity.
According to Simon Bosshart, China is a market which is constantly changing and difficult to evaluate. The trend for 2006 and 2007 is pleasing, heading more towards mono-Swiss travel. This means that an increasing number of Chinese are choosing Switzerland as an individual holiday destination and not integrating it into a European tour programme.
Jungfrau Railways-China relationship
After its 1998 entrance on the Chinese market, in the year 2000 Jungfrau Railways appointed a sales representative in Shanghai. In the same year, the company started to search China for a ‘sister’ for the Jungfrau. In 2002, the UNO Year of the Mountains, a partnership agreement was able to be signed in China.
The Jungfrau and Mount Huangshan have been linked as ‘partner mountains’. Both the Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn-region and Mount Huangshan have been awarded the status of a UNESCO World Heritage. The first official travel group made the trip to the Jungfraujoch on 6 September 2004. This has been followed by an increasing number of Chinese in recent years, including China’s Foreign Minister, Li Zhaoxing.
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