The city of Bern can continue the service contracts with the tourism organization Bern Welcome. On Friday, the city council clearly approved a commitment loan of 5.08 million francs for the next four years.
(Keystone-SDA) Bern Welcome’s strategy aims at sustainability, broad value creation and local markets, the city council has promoted the model. This reorientation has proved successful in recent years. It should be constantly pursued over the contractual period until 2026.
Even the majority of the council saw it that way. Bern was the first major destination in Switzerland to take this route; since then other cities have followed suit.
Focus on the nearby market
Every guest is welcome, said Sibyl Eigenmann (center), who works as a city guide at Bern Welcome. However, for sustainability reasons, it is correct to aim for the local market when applying for the federal city. These are guests who have a maximum travel time of six to eight hours.
The objection came from the UDC parliamentary group. Tourists from the Middle East, China and India shouldn’t be overlooked, because in Bern they spend far more money than a guest from Germany, for example.
It also doesn’t rely solely on tourists who have traveled by public transport.
For their part, the GB / JA faction was annoyed that Bern Welcome wanted to attract international congresses and events. This contradicts the strategy and leads to unnecessary mobility. A request from the Greens for a reduction in credit stood no chance, just like the demands of the UDC, which called for greater engagement in long-distance markets.
