Tourism Services
The national organization that promotes tourism in Switzerland is called Swiss National Tourist Office. This website was designed in order to attract tourists from all around the world to see the beautiful mountain landscapes and visit amazing ski resorts of the country. The website has a section called “Sustainability,” where all the eco-friendly innovations employed in Davos and in Switzerland resort facilities are described. Among the above-mentioned facilities and services, there are solar and wind power stations, solar powered boats and other types of vehicles (“Sustainability” par. 1).
Required Visas
Switzerland is one of the members of the European Union, and its territory is included into the Schengen area. There are several types of visa required for the Canadian residents willing to travel to Switzerland. Tourism visa is given to the individuals visiting Switzerland for leisure; to obtain this visa, one must include the accommodation information for every night they will spend in Schengen zone (Schengen Visa Switzerland 2).
The so-called visitors’ visa is for the individuals meeting their family members, who live in Switzerland (Schengen Visa Switzerland 2). This kind of visa requires an invitation from the person, whom the traveler intends to visit in Switzerland. There is also a business visa, which is given to the people going to Switzerland to attend a fair or a conference, meet with business partners, etc. (Schengen Visa Switzerland 2). If one desires to find employment in Switzerland during their stay, they will require a work permit, which the visitor also needs to apply for.
Tourism Education
There are a number of things that one must know before going to Switzerland. First of all, it is a rather small country. It is possible to travel from its southern to its northern borders in under three hours by train. Switzerland’s rail transportation system and public transport connections are excellent; therefore, a tourist will not have any problems moving around.
Hiring a car would be pointless. In case of visiting several cities in a row, it s recommended that a traveler should plan their trip so that it could end in Zurich, because this city has the airport that provides the best fly out options. Another very important thing to know about Switzerland is that there are four different national languages, three of them (French, German and Italian) being very popular (“Visiting Switzerland: 10 Things to Know before You Travel” 3). This occurs due to the fact that Switzerland borders France, Germany and Italy; as a result, many citizens adopted the neighbors’ languages.
Three star hotels in Switzerland provide the services equal to those at five star hotels in other countries (“Visiting Switzerland: 10 Things to Know before You Travel” 6). Euro is the official currency in Switzerland, but Francs are preferred in the local markets, so it would be handy to have both currencies in cash (“Visiting Switzerland: 10 Things to Know before You Travel” 7).
DMO’s of the Destination
SBB is one of the largest destination management organizations in Switzerland. It works with a great deal of destinations not only around the country, but also in the rest of Europe. This organization provides an SBB mobile application for tourists and visitors, which makes the raveling experience easier. Another major travel organization is called City Tourist. This organization promotes the Davos resort and offers an impressive amount of information divided into thematic sections so that every tourist could choose the kind of activities that they would enjoy the most.
Tourism attractions
Cultural Significance
Davos is one of the most culturally significant cities of Switzerland. It is known as the host of various political and business meetings of the world’s leaders such as the G8. Besides, Davos is the location of a variety of beautiful ski resorts, as well as a range of breathtaking tourist sites and entertainments in Switzerland. Moreover, the cultural significance of Davos is represented by a number of world renowned museums with unique collections of artworks. On top of all that Davos is known to hold the Spengler Cup hockey tournament annually.
Natural
Davos is a mountain resort, and its main natural attractions are mountain chains, which offer a beautiful panorama on the area. A traveler may take a mountain excursion from Davos Dorf to Weissfluhjoch. The excursion includes a ride in a cable railway, so the viewers can enjoy the landscape (“Davos Attractions and Activities” par. 3). This attraction is called Panoramaweg, which means “panorama way”; thus, its title informs the travelers about its main purpose, which is to introduce the guests to the astonishing natural beauty of the location. Other excursions offer walks across the Duncan and the Sertig valleys.
Manmade
Davos also has an impressive amount of manmade attractions. One of the oldest artificial attractions in Davos is Davos Platz representing old buildings including a Rathaus and a church that date back to the medieval times (“Davos Tourist Attractions” par. 2). Another world renowned place of attraction in Davos, the Kirchner Museum contains a large collection (over one thousand works) of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.
Apart from Kirchner Museum, Davos also has the Mining and the Local Museums, which accordingly feature the collection of ores, mining tools and minerals and a collection of old fashioned working tools attributed to different professions such as a shoemaker, a doctor or a barber. Another group of manmade attractions specific to Davos includes all the ski resorts located in the area. They incorporate a number of services, which make them the most favored skiing places for the tourists from all around the world.
Analysis of Destinations
When analyzing the destinations and places of attraction in Davos, one must mention four main factors, i.e., their scope, ownership, permanency and drawing power. Ski resorts are traditionally viewed as the primary places of attraction in Davos. The same, in fact, can be said about the rest of Switzerland, as this country is famous for its resorts. Museums, architecture and sporting events can be characterized as secondary places of attraction, which qualify as something a tourist must visit traveling to Switzerland.
When it comes to ownership, museums and places like old architecture masterpieces, e.g., medieval churches are viewed as the property of the state and are considered national attractions. At the same time hotels and ski resorts are private for-profit organizations. Attractions such as landscapes and mountain chains are available throughout the year. Cable care excursions, hikes and walks are conducted in winter and summer.
As far as the events in Daos are concerned, ice hockey tournaments can be considered interesting for tourists. Ski resorts, however, remain the most popular and the most frequently visited areas, seeing that they attract people from all around the world. Museums and sport events attract local or regional visitors for the most part.
Success Illustrated
The resorts of Davos are available in any season. In winter they attract skiers, and in summer hikers come to Davos for a hike high in the mountains and a breath of fresh alpine air.
Works Cited
“Berghaus Alte Schwendi, 1682m.” My Switzerland. n. d. Web.
“Biking in the Sertig Valley.” My Switzerland. n. d. Web.
“Davos Attractions and Activities.” Swiss Vacations. n. d. Web.
“Davos Tourist Attractions.” Planet Ware. 2015. Web.
“Mule Trekking.” My Switzerland. n. d. Web.
“Schengen Visa Switzerland.” EDA. 2014. Web.
“Sustainability.” My Switzerland. n. d. Web.
“Visiting Switzerland: 10 Things to Know before You Travel.” Infinite Legroom. 2014. Web.