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LIVING IN SWITZERLAND

Why Switzerland is one of the safest destinations for travel this summer

A new survey ranks Switzerland in the second place among European countries in terms of safe travel this summer. Here’s why.

Why Switzerland is one of the safest destinations for travel this summer
It's beautiful but also safe for tourists. Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

Coronavirus pandemic notwithstanding, Switzerland gets high scores as a safe tourist destination this summer.

This is the finding of a study carried out by a French tour operator, which rated 28 European countries based on health, security, homicide rate, robberies and fatal traffic accidents.

The survey gathered data from sources such as EuroHealth Consumer Index, Global Peace Index, and the EU Statistical Office Eurostat.

Based on the five criteria used in the survey, Switzerland ranks in the second place behind Norway.

Neighbour Austria ranks in the seventh place, Germany in the 10th, Italy in the 20th, and France in the 22nd.

However, when examined individually, Switzerland does better in some categories than in others.

For instance, it is in the first place in terms of health, and in the second for security and road safety.

Switzerland is in first place for health services – I mean look how fast the ambulances are! Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

But, it drops to the ninth place for thefts and to the sixth for homicides.

This is not the first study that has given Switzerland a thumbs up in terms of safety.

In 2019, a travel security risk services company International SOS, ranked Switzerland as “one the safest countries in all categories, including infectious diseases, political unrest, and road safety”.

READ MORE: IN NUMBERS: Which Swiss cities have the highest crime rates?

How Covid safe is Switzerland?

The study did not however take into account specific metrics related to the Covid pandemic. 

In the first wave of the pandemic in June 2020, Switzerland was found to be the world’s safest country for coronavirus because of the resilience of its economy and “the careful ways in which it is attempting to relax lockdown and economic freezing mandates without sacrificing public health and safety”.

Since then, while Switzerland’s management of the pandemic has been mixed, numbers are again low and the country is accepting visitors from most parts of the globe. 

Travel: What documents do tourists need to visit Switzerland?

As at July 14th, Covid numbers are relatively low, although they have been on the rise recently due to the more contagious Delta variant. 

As the Local reported on Tuesday, the variant accounted for 77.5 percent of the total cases, according to data from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).

At the same time, the number of new daily infections reported by FOPH on Tuesday stands at 483, triple what it was at the beginning of July.

READ MORE: Delta variant responsible for nearly 80 percent of new cases in Switzerland

Switzerland relaxed Covid measures on June 26th, both domestically and by allowing international arrivals. 

More information on the current Covid rules in place in Switzerland is available here

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For members

ECONOMY

How the strengths and weaknesses of the Swiss economy will impact you

While the economies of many countries are struggling, Switzerland’s is doing well in comparison. What exactly are its strengths and weaknesses? And how will they impact you?

How the strengths and weaknesses of the Swiss economy will impact you

In its new analysis published on Tuesday, the Swiss Economic Institute (KOF) lays out the forecast for Switzerland’s economy.

Some of it is positive, and some less so.

On the whole, however, and given the difficult situation of the past two years, the outlook is promising (read more about this below).

Things are not always what they seem

Economists, like KOF’s director Jan-Egbert Sturm, point out that though the public’s perception of the current economic situation is skewed toward the negative, it is not necessarily so.

“The increase in prices in Switzerland was significantly lower than in neighbouring countries,” he said in an interview with Blick newspaper. 

So is inflation: even at its height in 2022, when it exceeded the 3-percent mark (a very high figure for Switzerland), it was still well below the EU average.

Today, the rate stands at below 2 percent — still lower than elsewhere in Europe

READ ALSO: Why Switzerland’s inflation rate has stayed low compared to elsewhere

 Another ‘misconception’ is that consumption habits in Switzerland have been impacted by inflation.

The general view is that “there is some reluctance to buy new, larger goods like washing machines or cars. But if we look at the figures closely, we see that consumption is evolving in a relatively stable manner,” Sturm said.

“The Swiss economy is generally quite solid,” he added.

Another plus: “the labour market remains robust, especially thanks to the services sector,” Sturm pointed out.

Companies are more reluctant to let employees go not only because there are not enough qualified workers to fill job vacancies, but also because employers “learned during the pandemic that they must be careful not to lay off workers too quickly,” so as not to create shortages when the crisis passes.  

Why does Swiss economy generally fare well in crises — and in general?

There are several reasons for that: 

Low unemployment / high employment

This dynamic fuels economic prosperity because it means that as people earn income, they not only spend more (thus boosting consumption), but they also pay taxes which fill up the government’s coffers.

And when that happens, everyone in Switzerland benefits: the cantons and their finances profit from the strength of the Swiss economy, as the federal government distributes some of its profits to cantons.

The government’s role

The Swiss are financially-savvy, which bodes well for the economy.

Take the debt brake, for instance.

According to the government, it is a mechanism designed to “prevent chronic deficits and keep federal debt from soaring”.

Just as it is for private spending, the government must be careful not to exceed the set ‘expenditure ceiling.’

“With a debt ratio of around 30 percent of gross domestic product, Switzerland remains in excellent shape by international standards,” the government pointed out. “The debt brake has not only significantly helped Switzerland to overcome multiple crises relatively well; it has also allowed for a considerable reduction in federal debt.”

According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), “Switzerland’s public finances rank amongst the best in terms of solidity.”

READ ALSO : What is Switzerland’s debt brake and how does it affect residents?

All these factors combined have kept Switzerland’s afloat (or at least from drowning) during various global downturns, including the Covid pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which sparked spiralling inflation in many places. 

But there are weak points as well

One of them is the strong franc.

Actually, its strength vis-à-vis the euro and US dollar is a double-edged sword.

On the positive side it benefits the import industry and, ultimately, the consumer.

But it is quite the opposite for exports.

Switzerland relies heavily on trade with the EU, mainly Germany, but when the euro is weaker than the franc, Swiss goods are too expensive abroad — especially if countries concerned are in recession and simply can’t afford to buy from Switzerland.

For this reason, Swiss industries that depend on exports, usually feel the ‘crunch’ more than import-based sectors.

Also, the strong franc may very well enable Switzerland-based earners to enjoy numerous stays abroad, but it also makes holidays in Switzerland very pricy for overseas tourists. This, in turn, has a negative effect on the Swiss economy as well.

Therefore, the state of Switzerland’s economy is not entirely in its own hands, but depends on forces beyond its control.

As KOF puts it, “the sluggish global economy is slowing the growth of the Swiss economy” as well.

What can we expect ahead?

This is where the good news comes in.

“Real wage increases are expected following the declines of recent years,” KOF says. “This will boost purchasing power and, together with population growth, should support private consumption.

Therefore, “households’ spending is expected to increase in the coming year. This trend will be supported by a gradual levelling-​off of inflation and a sharper rise in disposable incomes.”

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