INDO SWISS - new media

EditorialDear Reader,Greetings. In a world that has shrunk drastically, thanks to a revolution incommunications and transportation, the travel and tourism industry has emerged as abig winner. Today, more and more people are on the move, crisscrossing the world astourists, than ever before. For most countries, the travel and tourism industry is a bigforeign-exchange earning business. More so for Switzerland, a country nestling in thesnow-clad Alpine mountains, that has some thing spectacular to offer round the year.For the Swiss economy, tourism is as important a sector as banking and finance servicesor the watch industry. It is a powerful engine of growth because, it generates income.Hence, both domestic and international tourism are crucial to the Swiss economy. So,tourism has been an invisible export of immense potential for the country. Spending byforeign guests in Switzerland has the same effect on the Swiss balance of payments asthe export of goods. Tourism has a multiple effect on the Swiss economy as it triggersexpenditure in various sectors. The cover story of the current issue of Indo-SwissBusiness takes an in-depth look at the travel and tourism industry of Switzerland, whichhas topped the list of countries in a recently released global report on this vital sector.Travel is among the most competitive businesses in the world. The Swiss InternationalAirlines has “Quality” as its trade mark service. We carry an interview with Jean-Philippe Benoit, General Manager, Swiss International Air Lines, (India, Sri Lanka,Nepal & Bangladesh), who talks about the factors that helped Swiss fly high. The issuealso features India's Kuoni Travel Group, whose strategic vision has helped maintain itspride of place in the highly competitive global travel and tourism industry. The WorldEconomic Forum (WEF) has over the years emerged as a powerful platform fordebating issues of global concern. Hence, the annual meeting of the Forum hasbecome a landmark event in global affairs. The 2008 WEF meeting is significant for itsoutcome that the “Power of Collaborative Innovation” is the best remedy to the stressesof intense globalization.” We carry a detailed report. Then we have a feature on thenail-biting final of the FIFA World Cup held in Berne on July 4, 1954, titled Revisiting theMiracle of Berne”. Besides all these, the issue carries plenty of news and regularfeatures. Finally, we take this opportunity to once again wish all our readers a Happyand Prosperous New Year.Wish you happy readingSatya SwaroopManaging Editorsatya@newmediacomm.biz05INDO-SWISS BUSINESS + JAN-FEB 2008