Famous Zermatt village with the peak of the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps
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Often called the Playground of Europe, Switzerland offers an abundance of inviting ski slopes and luxury Alpine resorts. Tourism is an important sector of the Swiss economy generating 2.8% of the country’s gross domestic product, in part due to the popularity of winter sports.
But like the rest of Europe, pandemic-related travel restrictions took a heavy economic toll on the country, with revenue from international tourism falling by almost 50 percent.
Last year, Switzerland Tourism invoked a novel strategy to draw attention to the country’s year-round beauty. It created an irreverent video—starring tennis great Roger Federer (the global brand ambassador of Switzerland Tourism) flanked by Oscar-winning actor Robert DeNiro.
The storyline of the 1½-minute video: Federer tries to convince DeNiro to make a feature film about Switzerland. DeNiro turns him down because the destination is “too perfect” with “no drama.” The cheeky ad was viewed over 100 million times, making it one of the most successful commercials of 2021.
Promoting The Grand Tour of Switzerland
Bilvio, Julier Pass
Switzerland Tourism/Martin Maegli
How do you top that success?
For its 2022 ad campaign, the tourism agency has paired Roger Federer with Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Anne Hathaway. This promotion takes Federer and Hathaway on a much-abbreviated Grand Tour of Switzerland.
The “actual” 9-day/8-night road trip it’s promoting starts and ends in Zurich, showcasing some of the country’s most interesting and scenic attractions. The ambitious tour takes visitors to 46 top attractions, 22 lakes, 5 Alpine passes, and 13 UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The entire self-guided tour covers just over 1000 miles but can be flexibly adapted in length, depending on a visitor’s interests and time availability. Visitors can travel the circuit by motorcycle or car (with a network of convenient electric vehicle charging stations available for eco-conscious travelers, too).
There is also a relaxing option to take the Grand Tour of Switzerland by train.
Lugern, Lucerne-Interlaken Express at Lake Lungernsee
Zentralbahn AG / Simon + Kim
Switzerland is a four-season destination so the journey can be enjoyed throughout the year, although some of the mountain passes (such as the Gotthard pass) are closed in winter due to snow on higher altitudes.
Snagging Anne Hathaway for the 2022 campaign
Anne Hathaway on the Red Carpet
WireImage
When Switzerland Tourism began looking for a female star to work with Federer, Anne Hathaway, who has starred in more than 20 successful Hollywood films, seemed to be a natural. She is currently starring in WeCrashed, a rom-com with Jared Leto that’s streaming on Apple TV+.
The beloved actress had visited Switzerland several times and revealed herself to be a big fan not only of the country but also of Federer (who has a following of nearly 13 million Twitter followers). Aside from the chemistry, Hathaway met another criterion that made her a good choice: She is also active on social media.
In the recently released two-minute promotion, Federer and Hathaway embark on the Grand Tour of Switzerland that showcases the majesty of Switzerland, taking the stars past lakes, scenic castles, and breathtaking mountain passes.
Needless to say, the new short is just as charming and funny as last year’s. It’s only two minutes long so I won’t spoil the punchline.
One day after its April 12, 2022 release on YouTube, it has already had 3.5 million views on YouTube.
Source link : https://www.forbes.com/sites/irenelevine/2022/04/13/anne-hathaway-and-roger-federer-woo-tourists-back-to-switzerland/
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Publish date : 2022-04-13 07:00:00
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