Edelweiss going commercial

The edelweiss, one of the symbols of Switzerland, could soon be heading down from the alpine slopes into florists’ shops. Scientists say that they have managed to grow the bloom at ground level and with stems long enough for bouquets. The whitish star-shaped edelweiss normally grows at between 2,000 and 3,000 metres in altitude. It [...]

R2-D2 kidnapped from museum

Unidentified thieves have stolen a replica of the Star Wars robot R2-D2 from a film prop museum in Frauenfeld, canton Thurgau. According to local police, the theft must have occurred some time between the beginning of the month and Tuesday, when some objects were reported missing. The thieves broke into a basement storage room, making [...]

I’m too sexy for my skis

Switzerland’s tourist industry is heading into the winter season flush with confidence, featuring a bare-chested ski instructor in its new marketing campaign. Switzerland Tourism’s advertising features a topless male ski instructor. A competition is part of the international campaign. Up for grabs is a weeklong ski holiday, including private ski instruction. Anyone taking part votes [...]

Swiss to design solar sub

Are the Swiss edging closer to cuckoo land? The latest cunning plan to attract tourists seems to indicate this might be the case. BLS railways and Bern power company BKW are backing the development of the world’s first submarine powered by the sun. An off-the-rack submarine would be upgraded to run off solar power, ie [...]

Tourism industry takes note of climate change

Climate change is slowly becoming an issue for tourism specialists. High-ranking officials have been gathering in the Swiss resort of Davos to find ways to deal with it. The meeting called by the United Nations World Tourism Organization discussed measures including how reduce the industry’s large carbon footprint, but ended up with just a [...]