Initial situation

The City of Zurich is one of the most popular travel destinations in Switzerland. It records each year around 16 million day visitors, 2.4 million overnight stays in the city and a further 839,000 at the airport. The total tourist demand triggers direct and indirect sales of around 3.6 billion Swiss Francs in a variety of business sectors, above all in accommodation, restaurants, bars and the retail trade. The tourism sector employs around 17,000 people representing approximately 7 percent of all jobs in the City of Zurich; many of which have a less demanding job profile.
In the last 10 – 11 years, Zurich has strengthened its position in the international arena, thanks to the cooperation between the City and the Canton of Zurich, Zurich Tourism and the Greater Zurich Area. There is, however, potential for improvement with regard to integrated location and destination marketing (see Action Area 12).

Strategies

• The City is committed to ensuring that the Zurich area will be promoted more intensely by Zurich Tourism, the Greater Zurich Area, and the Canton and City of Zurich in thesense of integrated destination marketing.
• The City promotes sustainable tourism together with Zurich Tourism.
• The City ensures that the “Zürich” brand will be in a stronger international position with a clear profile.
• The City continues to position itself internationally as a cultural and creative city – together with partner organisations.
• The City actively promotes itself as a host city for international conventions and special events that are consistent with its image: it makes every effort to ensure that an international sporting event, such as a European or World Championship, takes place in Zurich every two years on average.
• The City promotes Zurich as a conference location with its new, internationally oriented congress centre.
• The City and the commercial City Vereinigung Zürich are committed to ensuring an attractive city centre with the highest quality of public space and a wide range of retail and gastronomic possibilities.
• The City is committed to fast and direct international rail and air connections.

Leading projects and initiatives

• Implementation of integrated destination marketing for the positioning of the “Zürich” brand, together with Zurich Tourism, the Canton of Zurich and the Greater Zurich Area
• Participation in international exhibitions and trade fairs in order to make the qualities and achievements of the City of Zurich better known internationally
• Development and implementation of measures to improve the perception of the public and private sector cultural offers at local, national and international level
• Realisation of a new Zurich Congress Centre (see Action Area 01)
• Implementation of the projects listed in the Inner City Concept 2008
• Hosting the European Athletics Championships in 2014