Tourism is one of the sectors hardest hit by the coronavirus and the response to it. Figures from a study by HES-SO Valais published by the newspaper Blick suggest the industry will see revenues in Switzerland drop 18%, or CHF 6.4 billion, in 2020. The hotel sector alone, which generates around CHF 10 billion annually, […]
Coop and Migros: customers required to queue
Coop and Migros, Switzerland’s two largest supermarkets have decided to limit the number of people entering their stores, creating queues outside, according to RTS. To reduce the spread of Covid-19, shopper density has been reduced to one person per 10 m2, which drastically reduces the number of people allowed inside simultaneously. In addition, shopping in […]
Swiss health authority adds avoiding handshakes to coronavirus advice
In response to the increased spread of the novel Coronavirus Switzerland’s health authority has issued new hygiene advice, which includes avoiding hand shakes. This additional measure was added recently along with two others: dispose of used paper tissues in a sealed waste bin and always call ahead before going to the doctor’s or the emergency […]
Close to one fifth of households in Switzerland behind on debt payments
In 2017, 18.9% of Switzerland’s population lived in a household with outstanding debt repayments, a percentage that has rose from 17.7% over the proceeding 4 years. The most common forms of outstanding debts were taxes, health insurance premiums and phone bills. 9.9% of households had outstanding tax payments, 7.3% owed health insurance money and 5.2% […]
Swiss Post stops accepting parcels and letters to China
Swiss Post has said it will no longer accept packages addressed to China, according to Tribune de Genève. Because of the covid-19 virus, airlines have stopped or drastically reduced flights to China. This fall in air traffic has reduced postal service capacity to China by two thirds. Mail can still be sent if it is […]
Canton of Valais wants to make school skiing compulsory
For school pupils in canton Valais, skiing could soon be part of the curriculum under plans to create three obligatory snow sports days a year, the NZZ am Sonntag reports. Christophe Darbellay, the canton’s education minister, wants to get young people back on skis to ensure the future of the sport, which generated CHF 758 million […]
The labels that show how much more international retailers charge Swiss
To simplify labelling, many international retailers put recommended retail prices (RRP) for multiple nations on the same label, like the one below. Labels such as these show how much more Swiss customers are being charged compared to customers in other countries. The label above, from an item of clothing sold in Switzerland, shows how much […]
Swiss private bank Pictet to drop fossil fuel investments
Recently, the private bank Pictet, based in Geneva, announced plans to eliminate all of its investments in companies actively associated with the production and extraction of fossil fuels, according to a press release. The bank defines companies actively associated with the production and extraction of fossil fuels as those generating more than 25% of their […]
Swiss environmental agency sets no date for 5G launch
Earlier this week, Switzerland’s Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) announced it had contacted the cantons at the end of January 2020, informing them it had not set a date for switching on 5G networks. However, mobile networks plan to continue installing 5G equipment after rolling out more than 2,000 antenna last year – a […]
Switzerland most expensive country in 2020
It will come as little surprise to many that Switzerland has been ranked the world’s most expensive country. Put together by the magazine CEO World, the ranking pulls cost of living data on accommodation, clothing, taxi fares, utilities, internet, groceries, transport, and dining out, from a number of other studies. Norway ranks second, followed by […]
