In line with EU guidelines, Switzerland has lifted entry restrictions for travellers from 21 countries*, including Australia and Canada which are considered epidemiologically safe with regards to the COVID-19 situation. Travellers from certain regions will have to go into quarantine for 10 days after entering the country.
Though Switzerland is one of the few countries in the world that has been able to control the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation is in constant flux and restrictions can change at any given time. Switzerland systematically started relaxing its Covid-19 restrictions in phases, by 15th June Switzerland opened its borders for travellers from the Schengen zone and the United Kingdom. As of July 20, 2020, the country is open to Algeria, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Ireland, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay.
As the country opens its borders with a gradual relaxation of rules, the need for information on the safety and cleanliness measures adopted remained high. To address this concern and assure tourists about Switzerland being a safe and clean travel destination, the tourism board initiated the Clean & Safe campaign along with tourism industry associations to create a ‘Clean & Safe’ Label which indicates that the establishments have made a conscious commitment to comply with protection plans.
The “Clean & Safe” label is a uniform and easily identifiable means for businesses to communicate their commitment towards providing a clean and safe guest experience. The label informs the guests from home & abroad that the establishment has successfully adapted to the mandatory protection plans drawn up by the federal government and is safe to be included in their travel plans.
“Switzerland is in a transitional phase and with the step-by-step reopening of the tourist infrastructure, guests expect to know, if proper measures are being taken to maintain a high standard of hygiene. The “Clean & Safe” label is provided by the respective industry associations. A total of six industry-specific labels are available – for hotels, restaurants, navigation companies, cable cars, public transportation, and meeting facilities. The campaign is an approach to bring together the tourism industry associations in Switzerland to foster a safe and welcoming environment for travellers from across the country and the world” said Ms Ritu Sharma, Deputy Director, Switzerland Tourism India.
The information platform www.clean-and-safe.ch provides an overview of all industry-specific protection concepts.
