SWISS will begin direct flights to and from Mumbai twice a week starting early next year
Even before it arrives, the New Year has brought some good tidings for Indian tourists eager to break out of the boredom and lockdowns as it becomes easier again to visit Switzerland, one of the top destinations for Indian tourists. Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) will resume direct operations from India starting January 10, 2022, as both countries sign an air bubble agreement that allows their national carriers to operate flights between India and Switzerland.
SWISS will begin direct flights to and from Mumbai twice a week starting early next year. Flights from Mumbai to Zurich will depart on Wednesdays and Fridays while flights from Zurich to Mumbai will be available on Mondays and Wednesdays. More flights will follow in the next few months from Mumbai as well as Delhi.
Switzerland, a popular tourist destination among Indians, is now open to Indians who have been fully vaccinated with either the Covishield or Covaxin. All fully vaccinated adults are required to fill out an entry form and present their COVID certificate as well as the RT-PCR test result to authorities upon arrival in Switzerland. However, the requirement for a second RT-PCR test within 4 to 7 days has been waived for fully vaccinated travellers or for people who recovered from Covid-19 in the last 6 months.
The reopening of the destination, an all time favourite for a large variety of Indian tourists, is definitely a welcome development as it coincides with the winter holidays and the Swiss Alps have been a huge magnet for all sorts of Indian tourists—from the first timers who like to have the mandatory photographs at the various peaks like Matterhorn or Jungfrau to the multi-millionaires who love to ski down the slopes of Saint Moritz, a luxury Alpine resort in Grisons canton of Switzerland and which has hosted Winter Olympics twice so far.
For the Swiss tourism industry, too, India is one of the most important markets, at least in volumes and increasingly in value, too, as more and more Indians seek to travel in small family groups or FITs and relish the country and its numerous attractions at their own pace and without keeping a close watch on their budgets.
