With Martha Chapman
25APR08
Ursula Beamish-Mader
of Switzerland Tourism with
Hugo Furrer of the Swiss Travel System
Nice brochure! This tiny USB stick replaced many paper brochures
Switzerland: The Green Scene
"I work in Zurich, and on my lunch breaks I go swimming in the lake." "I've never owned a car in my life." "80% of passengers departing from Zurich Airport arrive by public transit."
Wow. These were just some of the comments our visiting Swiss hosts made at a luncheon put on by Switzerland Tourism at the swank Hotel Le Germain in Toronto recently. Clearly the Swiss have been living the green life long before David Suzuki started cajoling Canadians to think of the environment.
And the entire world is impressed. According to Ursula Beamish-Mader of Switzerland Tourism, the World Economic Forum last year named Switzerland the number one country out of 130 to best balance economic development with environmental sustainability.
Another wonderful Swiss bit: This Friday is the launch of Swiss Mobility – not, as the genial Markus Lergier of Bern Tourism joked, a new cell phone company. The country is encouraging locals and visitors alike to sightsee using "self power": walking, hiking, mountain biking, skating and even canoeing. Trails are so well marked you won't even need a map. And (how clever! How Swiss!) your luggage will be shipped ahead to your next destination each day. Greenies should check out the Swiss Mobility site.
At the end, the cordial hosts presented us with brochures and literature -- on a tiny USB stick. And until the day I can proudly say "I live in Toronto, and on my lunch breaks I go swimming in the lake," my hat will be off to the Swiss for their care for the world around them.
© Open Jaw