Switzerland Tourism has opened its first office in the UAE, responsible for the Gulf region, to promote the country as a leisure and business destination. The country's official marketing organisation, Switzerland Tourism, has opened its office at the Dubai headquarters of Swiss International Air Lines.

The office will offer tour operators and travel agents promotional and support services for Arab travellers and the region's expatriate community.

"The GCC region is a very important market for us - reflected in the high number of GCC residents that travel to Switzerland," said Jurg Schmid, chief executive and president, Switzerland Tourism. "For 2001, we welcomed 217,000 Gulf residents - an increase of 15 per cent from the year before."

Schmid believes that by the end of this year, there will be 300,000 overnight visitors from the Gulf in Switzerland. "And for 2003 we're expecting this number to increase further thanks to the opening of our office here.