The worldwide tourism in 2023 was almost as strong as it was in its best year. That was in 2019, just before the Corona pandemic. This was so despite rising costs for traveling. And it is becoming apparent that this development will continue. It seems that especially the top income bracket wants to enjoy life in a way that is reminiscent of the post-war boom in the 20th century. My husband and I are no exception here. We did quite a lot of traveling in 2023. Yet this was due to a certain circumstance. As to 2024, there is already a big trip behind us. For the rest of the year, more travel is bound to come, however it will not go overseas. Find in the following all the details to the “special circumstance” as well as the latest travel news about Swiss Traveler for 2023 and 2024.

I start with the distinct situation my husband and I are in before coming to past and future journeys.

What is new in our life?

Our (travel) year 2023 was a special one. This because it was the last (complete) one where my husband was still employed. In mid 2024, he took early retirement. So, we are now both pensioners – I already gave up my employment some time ago. Will this development have any impact on our way of traveling? This is what we ask ourselves again and again. And we still have no definite answer to it.

Of course, I have the one or other idea what is going to change as to the manner in which we travel. I would like to spend a longer time in one spot, for example. This in order to fully immerse in a place und truly get to know its people and culture. That would entail only booking a hotel for the first few days and renting an apartment for the rest of the stay. While I cannot imagine proceeding like this for all our trips, it might be a good thing to do now and then. Having said that, I do not know whether such a way of traveling would suit us. So far, we have never rented an apartment before.

Another important issue is the loss of gainful employment that will certainly have its implications. As I have repeatedly mentioned on my blog, my husband and I have always made sure that we do not pay excessive prices for hotels or flights. And it is to be expected that the new situation we are faced with will result in an even higher cost-awareness.

We will see how our travel behavior will change in the time to come, given the new circumstances. Hopefully, I will be wiser in this respect on my next travel update.

Travel year 2023

As I already went into the first quarter of 2023 in my last update, I come right to the first of two big trips we did in 2023.

Bhutan: 9-day private guided tour

We made sure that we had some once in a lifetime trips on our travel program for 2023. You never know what the future has in store for you. Especially if you have a significant transition to another life situation ahead of you in the following year. First of all, we finally managed to do the Bhutan trip we originally had booked for 2020. After lots of postponing because of COVID-19, we were able to tour this Himalayan kingdom in spring 2023.

We did this on the occasion of a 9-day journey arranged by the COMO hotel group. This allowed us to get to know three valleys and both COMO hotels in this country plus a third partner hotel. And we did this with our own private guide, which was great. In case you should be interested in this topic, I have published five posts about Bhutan: travel guide, 9-day itinerary, considerations which luxury hotel brand to choose for a private guided tour, how it is doing this with COMO luxury hotels as well as ideas where to go for a pre- or post-Bhutan stay.

Some short trips in Switzerland and Germany in summer

In summer 2023, we traveled our own backyard. That means we visited some places in Switzerland and the nearby Germany. The start made a weekend trip to Hotel Vitznauerhof in Vitznau where we have stayed several times in the recent past (my blogpost). Again, we came here not only for the pleasant hotel experience by the lake but also for culinary delights. This time, we dined not with the two-star Michelin chef Jeroen Achtien – he left in the meantime. Instead, we tried out the pop-up at the time, Ibiza Food Studios by the Danish Boris Buono. And we liked it!

Our next destination was Germany, precisely Hotel Traube Tonbach in the northern Black Forest. Once more, this was not our first visit here but the third one. For the newest post about this fabulous accommodation, check it out here. My husband and I are great fans of this hotel. You encounter here not only immaculate facilities and an excellent hospitality but also high-end gastronomy (four Michelin stars in total) and beautiful nature surroundings.

Last, we had a stay in the Swiss Alps, in Zermatt exactly. A friend of us celebrated a special birthday here. And we used this opportunity to give a hotel a try that was new to us. It is about The Omnia, which was a true find. Should you be interested, check out the details here. In the past, we also stayed repeated times at another high-end hotel in Zermatt, the Riffelalp Resort (my post). While the former is located in the town of Zermatt, the later is in the mountainside, a perfect choice in case you are looking for a ski-in/ski-out property. Allow me one more remark to Zermatt in summer. We found the resort’s center (Bahnhofstrasse) as much too crowded by tourists. And this was so every time we passed by on our four-day visit.

North Italy & west Switzerland journey: 14-day road trip

In late summer, we ventured to Italy’s north again – after doing so in 2021 already. This time it went to the South Tyrol (two stops) and the Lake Garda area. On the way home, we made a side trip to west Switzerland in order to celebrate a special birthday in our family in Montreux. I made six posts about this journey: a North-Italy & west Switzerland 14-day road trip itinerary, a report on our first hotel in Tirolo close to Merano, and another about our second in the Sarentino valley near Bolzano (both in the South Tyrol). Then I informed about staying at our luxury accommodation on Lake Garda before going into the Michelin fine dining options close by. Finally, I wrote about two Michelin starred dining spots in Montreux.

Chile & Buenos Aires/Argentina: 20-day journey

In November, we made the final big trip of my husband’s last year of employment. In some way, we wanted to mark the end of an era by doing a truly special journey. For this purpose, we chose Chile. And we combined it with Buenos Aires. We did this for the simple reason that it made our flight to Santiago de Chile less expensive! Originally, we found that it would be more desirable to see this awesome city on the occasion of a (later) journey across Argentina. Yet you definitely can visit Buenos Aires more than once!

In the context of pricing, it turned out that we had to spend a small fortune for our Chile trip. This was especially true for one of our hotels in Patagonia and the one we had picked for our Atacama Desert stay. While the latter offered nevertheless worth for money, this was not so at the former. At least we did not have to break the bank for the other lodging – apart from Buenos Aires we also stayed in Santiago de Chile and Valparaiso.

I did write six blogposts about this journey, a non-rushed 20-day itinerary and five reports on staying and dining in style at each of the places we were. This is about two hotels around Torres del Paine, Hotel Awasi in the Atacama Desert, Santiago de Chile, Valparaiso and Buenos Aires.

Madeira: 7-day stay between Christmas and New Year 

For the second time in a row we spent a week between Christmas and New Year in Madeira. My husband and I absolutely fell in love with this beautiful island in the Atlantic Ocean with its mild climate all year round. And we enjoyed balmy days again at this time of the year!

Another plus point in Madeira is also the hotel we have chosen here, and this on three consecutive occasions. It is about Les Suites at the Cliff Bay (my post). It offers not only spacious suites and great hospitality but also value for money.

Travel year 2024

As far as 2024 is concerned, we ventured far in the first half, I already mentioned it. Regarding the second half, we have planned several trips, although we will stay in Europe all the time.

Done that

Sils Maria in Upper Engadine/Switzerland: 6-day winter vacation

This was another repeat trip to a favorite hotel destination of ours, Hotel Waldhaus in Sils Maria in the Upper Engadine near Saint Moritz (my post). Again, we were delighted by this accommodation’s location – towering high above the village of Sils Maria – and its understated luxury.

This time we also tried out a restaurant here that we have not dined at so far, Restaurant Arvenstube. And while we liked the food here it was far too much of it. Next time, we probably stick to the traditional Waldhaus Dining-Room, which might feel a bit old-fashioned, but beautifully old-fashioned.

Short stay in Luzern

And yet this is another repeat hotel destination for us! My mother celebrated a milestone birthday and to celebrate this event we headed to Luzern for a second stay at Montana Art Deco Hotel. This time, we opted for a room category that had received a refurbishment in the meantime, the Deluxe Room Lakeside one. And it did not disappoint with its modern appearance.

Our family also had the birthday lunch onsite, at Restaurant Scala, which has received a touch-up too. Again, we liked what we got food wise. And the service was good as well, a lot of fussing about my mother’s special day.

We used the opportunity to check out the recently opened Mandarin Oriental Palace Luzern. And it is really a beauty! We had a fabulous afternoon tea, actually the best I ever had. In addition, we had a light meal at the MOzern Bar & Brasserie, which was also convincing.

Taiwan: 17-day road trip

A trip to Taiwan had been our our travel bucket list for some time. Friends of us had visited this island twice and had been raving about its vibrant cities and its stunning natural beauties. So, we headed there end of March, beginning of April. And I would say that it was quite a memorable undertaking.

What I only fully realized after the trip was how densely populated Taiwan is (especially on its west side). It was astonishing to witness how so many people live together in such a small space. Of a consequence of that, we and the ones or other Westerner travelers were “in competition” with lots of Taiwanese tourists. Generally, it worked out well – an exception was the mountain village of Jiufen on a weekend – , and we had a great time in Formosa, as this Asian Island was formerly known.

My reporting on Taiwan includes following topics: Some considerations when planning a (luxury) Taiwan trip, two itineraries of different lengths – one week and two weeks – , my personal luxury hotel highlight in Taiwan and my favorite fine-dining restaurants here.

North Italy & west Switzerland: 11-day road trip

Our first travel undertaking as an early retired couple lead lead us to Italy once more – after 2023 and 2021. We followed a bit in our footsteps of 2021, but not too much so. Variety is what makes traveling fun for us! The northern Italian region of Piedmont was on our itinerary one more time, yet with different places. It was actually the main focus of this trip. On our return home, we made a side tour to the Vallée de Joux. It is a rugged and unspoiled valley between Swiss Jura Mountain ranges, not far from Lake Geneva. My coverage of this voyage is still in progress – unfortunately not yet so advanced as I would have liked.

Sils Maria in Upper Engadine/Switzerland: 4-night short trip in summer

To celebrate our son’s 30th birthday we headed to Hotel Waldhaus in Sils Maria (see above) one more time, and this in summer. As we spent quite some vacations here when our son was a child – especially in summer – we found that it would be nice to repeat this experience. And after this recent stay, we can confirm that the Waldhaus is not only a perfect winter destination but still more than suitable going to in summer as well.

Ahead of us 

France: 20-day road trip Champagne-Normandy-Brittany-Cognac-Dordogne-Cantal

In our twenties, my husband and I did voyage in France very often. Our western neighboring country was actually our preferred destination for traveling around. When we became parents we stopped doing so. We thought that exploring sights, changing hotels all the time and dining at gourmet restaurants might not be the right thing for a small child. Now seems to be great timing to resume this kind of traveling. However, we want to stay longer at certain places, frequently three nights or so. And instead of seeing various attractions we prefer now walking the area.

We start our journey in the Champagne, which we do not know very well yet. Next is France’s northwest that is no new land for us. After two nights in Honfleur (Normandy) we proceed to Brittany where we lodge at three spots, each for three nights. This is actually the major focus of our trip. We continue towards south to Cognac, where we have never been before. The way back home goes via the Dordogne respectively the Perigord. We voyaged here on an earlier occasion and liked the lovely countryside. As final stop before home we chose the Département Cantal. This region, somewhere halfway between Toulouse and Lyon, is unfamiliar to us.

Short stay in Geneva

As we have dear friends who live partly in Geneva, we have arranged a short stay here. We did so already in the past. It was great fun to visit it with someones at their place of residence who know all the best spots to go.

Greece: 17-day road trip Athens & Peleponnes

Greece is new territory to my husband and me. So far we have avoided it because it appeared too touristy to us. Now we thought it might be the time to reconsider, especially as overseas flights has become very expensive. We visit off-season, end of October, beginning of November. Let us see what comes out of this.

That was it to the latest travel news about Swiss Traveler for 2023 and 2024! We have already made a booking for early 2025. And this is for a destination that occurs quite often in my reporting lately. It is about Madeira.

Madeira again in 2025, a 10-day stay

In contrast to the last two times, we go there not around New Year, but at the beginning of January. As a retired couple, we are more flexible. We do not have to travel when all the others do. And I am excited to learn how this island feels in this season.

The post What was going on in my travel year 2023? And what is about 2024? first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post What was going on in my travel year 2023? And what is about 2024? appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

I am happy to inform you that my blog now ranks No 91 of the “100 Best Luxury Travel Blogs and Websites” to follow in 2023 by Feedspot. And “Swiss Traveler” made it into this list from thousands of blogs on the web within the luxury travel niche! This is of course great news for me. This recognition not only enhances my credibility and authority in this field but also serves as a source of inspiration and motivation for me to continue my work.

If you wonder about Feedspot and how this list of “Top 100 Luxury Travel Blogs” is made, here are some more information.

About Feedspot

Feedspot is an RSS reader. And RSS stand for “really simple syndication” which is used to distribute and share online content.  This allows you to subscribe to news feeds from your favorite websites and to receive updates every time they post new content.

While there is a number of RSS feed readers available, Feedspot is considered as one of the best. It does all the things you would expect from a tool like this plus some more. In particular, it is the product of your choice in case you are looking for advanced filtering. Feedspot ist designed to make searches within all the feeds you follow and filter results from them. In addition, you can search phrases within the title only plus browse by exact phrase matches.

Bottom line, Feedspot enables you to track down the content you most want to see.

About Feedspot’s “100 Best Luxury Travel Blogs and Websites”

Feedspot’s “100 Best Luxury Travel Blogs and Websites” is about top authors, journalists and publishers covering luxury travel. The ranking is based on following factors:

• relevancy,
• blog post frequency, freshness, total posts,
• social media follower counts and engagements,
• domain authority,
• how old the blog is.

As to how new blogs for this list are discovered, there are several ways:

• Publishers submit their blogs on Feedspot via a form.
• A research team does extensive research on Google and social media platforms.
• Feedspot uses in-house media monitoring tools.

What I personally find an interesting point is that Feedspot gives blogs covering industry insights, news and personal opinions higher rankings than those promoting their own brand or products.

Overall

I am really glad that my luxury travel and fine dining blog “Swiss Traveler” has been included in one of the travel industry’s leading lists of influential and high quality content providers. And this is about Feedspot’s “100 Best Luxury Travel Blogs and Websites” to follow in 2023. Be assured that I will do my best to continue delivering valuable and engaging content in the time to come.

In case you want to keep up with my blog and other favorite websites, consider subscribing to them with Feedspot. In such a way you can read them from a single location. Moreover, you can also make use of their search engine for letting you look for more preferred RSS feeds.

The post Blog “Swiss Traveler” featured on Feedspot’s “100 Best Luxury Travel Blogs and Websites” first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post Blog “Swiss Traveler” featured on Feedspot’s “100 Best Luxury Travel Blogs and Websites” appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

While the year of 2021 was still heavily marked by the Corona pandemic, 2022 was the year of change for travel. Whereas there were still some obstacles, international (air) travel became an option again. I would like to look back at these two years, yet without dwelling so much on 2021. It was a difficult year for me, precisely for my husband and me. I do not want to give too many details – this is a travel blog after all – , but the situation we were in affected our traveling too. In 2022, there was definitely a turn to the better! And this was as well as to travel restrictions caused by the pandemic as to personal issues. So, I thought it is high time for a travel update on Swiss Traveler.

Travel year of 2021

The first part of 2021 was still strongly influenced by the Corona pandemic. So, there was more domestic travel for my husband and me. And we were lucky to live in Switzerland because it was always possible to stay and dine at domestic hotels, throughout the COVID-19 time. From late summer on, we were able to travel internationally again, first by car and later by air.

Exploring west Switzerland

I have already announced in my last travel update that we explored the western part of Switzerland, the French speaking one, to a greater extent. This involved the Swiss Jura around Le Noirmont

where you find a great two-star Michelin restaurant

with some guest rooms. We continued towards south to the Lake Geneva. Here we stayed in the beautiful Glion above Montreux

before heading to Lausanne. The latter is not only one of the bigger cities in Switzerland but a nice place too. And it features the possibly best hotel in the country’s French speaking part.

Plus, the latter hosts a great two-star Michelin restaurant.

After exploring Switzerland’s west,  it was up to two more domestic trips before heading to the nearby abroad.

Short stay on Lake Zurich & a journey to Ticino with 2 stops en route

The short stay on Lake Zurich

was a “Corona getaway”, as outlined above. Our choice of destination turned out to be ideal for this purpose as it allowed us to dine not only at the onsite restaurant but also at the one of a sister hotel in the city of Zurich. And we reached the latter by the hotel owned boat!

Next was a journey to Ticino, Switzerland’s sunniest spot, with one stop on the way there

and one on the way back

(now under new managment). In the Ticino, it draw us to Ascona, and this to our favorite hotel

In the area where we had not been for a while.

Venturing abroad to neighboring Italy & France

As first destination for traveling internationally after the worst time of the pandemic, we chose the north Italy and the south of France (itinerary). As to Italy, I did the following posts: hotel No 1,

with great three-star Michelin restaurant,

plus what to do,

hotel No 2

plus things to do

and hotel No 3

plus activities.

With regard to France, here is what I wrote about it: hotel No 1

with two walks,

hotel No 2 including two activities

and hotel No 3,

which features an outstanding two-star Michelin dining-spot.

Having returned from nearby abroad, we chose Madeira as destination for our first air trip. Not only is it quite close to Switzerland but it also features a balmy climate year around.

First international air trip to Madeira & a traveler’s nightmare

Madeira is ideal for travelers in search of mild weather in November. It is also perfect for those into walking such as us. Returning to this island in the Atlantic Ocean had been our bucket list for some time (our last trip to this island dates back to 2007). So, we were very much looking forward to our journey and our first air trip since a while.

We had a good start – see my post about hotel No 1.

Then it happened, something that every traveler fears! My husband developed a kidney stone, for the first time ever. What first seemed to be painful yet not too much cause for concern, got out of control. There were complications and he had to be hospitalized on an emergency basis. The diagnosis was septic shock! In the end, everything turned out fine – Madeira has excellent private healthcare facilities.

Yet, such an health issue is of course every traveler’s nightmare!

Despite all this – my husband had to spend one week at the hospital, from which two days in intensive care – , I managed to produce quite some more content about Madeira: hotel No 2,

general information,

luxury hotels overview,

gourmet dining.

After this mixed year of 2021, my husband and I hoped for a much better 2022. Yet we wanted to be careful before heading further away, both because of the insecurities caused by the pandemic and of the health issue my husband had suffered abroad.

Back to normal in 2022?

Yes, that was the big question at the start of the new year, for travel addicts and also for my husband and me. If you face a serious health incident abroad, you cannot not go on as before. It changes you whether you want it to or not. But there was hope, both with regard to a fast end of the pandemic and to fearlessly traveling again. To be precise as to the latter, that means to go on a trip without checking first whether there is a state-of-the-art health care facility nearby.

The travel year 2022 started with ski vacations in Zuoz

again. We also returned to Lausanne

for another stay at my favorite hotel in town if not in western Switzerland. This time we went with friends and it was again a good experience.

First time ever in Mallorca/Spain

Our first air trip did not go far, you know, in the case of an unexpected health issue. It went to Mallorca, a place we have avoided so far like the plague. Yet we always have been steering away from destinations affected by mass tourism. But, due to the situation at the time, we gave it a try. And we were pleasantly surprised, with some exceptions. It seems that there is always too much of everything on this beautiful island. And in spring, there are definitely too many cyclists (on race bicycles) around.

Here are my posts about Mallorca: its (excessive) tourism,

itinerary,

staying and dining in style in four places (southwest,

north,

northeast

– here you find also Mallorca’s best restaurant – the two-star Michelin restaurant Voro

– and Palma de Mallorca).

Before going farther – to a place with immaculate health care facilities – , we had one more interesting domestic short stay.

A weekend at a country club in Val Lumnezia/Switzerland

Together with friends we spent a weekend in Val Lumnezia, a valley in the southeastern Alps in the canton of Grisons. Here we stayed not at a conventional hotel but at a country club.

This means that it is not open to the public, only members can dine (a former two-star Michelin chef)

and stay here. My husband and I were lucky enough to join friends of us (who have a membership). And it was a great thing to do, especially if you care for personalized and bespoke services (no post yet).

Our 9th West Coast America journey

Then off we went for our ninth West Coast America stay! We had opted for a place that was familiar to us for our first journey further away from home after the pandemic’s peak. The start and ending point was Los Angeles,

in between were Las Vegas

and some places in Arizona.

Here is an overview post, another one goes into the details, i.e. from place to place.

Next on the agenda was a short stay in the eastern Swiss Alps in Klosters near Davos (no post yet),

before we returned to our favorite city in the world, Paris. We have been here umpteen times, but we still love it! These are my posts about it: luxury boutique hotel in the Marais,

4 Michelin starred restaurants.

After this, we spent a weekend in Zurich with friends at a hotel in the city’s old town (post about restaurant, a two-star Michelin dining-spot,

no post about hotel yet). And then it was up to a bigger trip, our fourth Bali stay. On a side note, you find here probably no health care facilities that live up to Swiss standards but Singapore is not too far away.

Stay No 4 in Bali within 8 years & return to Madeira

We love Bali – although it has not been spared from mass tourism. It has so much to offer in terms of natural and men-made attractions. In addition, local people are so nice and hospitable. Plus, we had hoped that fewer travelers should be around than before the pandemic. And we were right! Finally, we knew the place, and that is always favorable if you have some doubts – think of issues in the context of pandemic and health. It turned out to be a great experience again, here are my blogposts: findings after 4 stays in 8 years,

best walks,

best luxury hotels

and best fine dining in Ubud.

Between Christmas and New Year, we spent a week in Madeira. We had a lot of catching up to do – see above. And with this, we already have reached the year 2023!

2023, a special travel year

2023 is not just the first year where travel should be as it used to be before the pandemic, but it is also special to my husband and me, from a personal point of view. This is due to two factors. The first goes back to my husband’s health incident that happened end of 2021. From the start of 2023 on, we have the firm attention to spend our vacations in a more carefree way again. This means no more checking beforehand where you can find a high standard healthcare facility near the place where we are headed.

As far as the second factor is concerned, I will not elaborate further right now. This will probably happen when I do my next travel update. Anyway, we have great plans in terms of trips all over the world for this year. Actually, we have already booked all of them! As you may have noticed, there is a heavy demand for going away. So, we already had to do some amendments!

First to a domestic trip that is already over, our annual skiing respectively winter vacation.

6th or 7th stay at Hotel Waldhaus Sils Maria in Upper Engadine/Switzerland

After two stays in Zuoz – where there was a change of manager too – , we were ready for something new. It should be the Upper Engadine again. And so went to a place we have not visited in 16 years (How could we do that?). It is about Hotel Waldhaus in Sils Maria, and it was still as good as we remembered it. I have done two posts about this vacation, one about the hotel,

the other about 2 top winter walks in the area.

Now to what lies before us.

Does the Bhutan trip finally become true – booked for 2020, realized in 2023?

As already mentioned elsewhere on my blog, we have a trip of a lifetime booked pre-pandemic (for spring 2020) that finally seems to become true in 2023. And this is to Bhutan, a kingdom in the Himalayas between India and China. This country is said to be a mythical place with an unspoiled culture and nature. It has been open to the outside world only since the 1970s. And the government still prioritizes Gross National Happiness (GNH) over Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

My husband and I hope that everything as to our upcoming journey will fall in place. This also because of the fact that we already paid the full price for it back in 2020. To follow-up!

Photo by Ming Zimik: https://www.pexels.com/photo/paro-taktsang-in-bhutan-4525420/

Other plans for 2023

As to other booking arrangements we have made for 2023, I can inform you as follows. In summer, we will spend a few days in Zermatt in the southwestern Alps.

This because a friend of us celebrates a milestone birthday here. I myself have also such a birthday ahead of me this year. On this occasion we have planned a trip to the nearby abroad. The South Tyrol

will be our first destination to go before continuing to Lake Garda (for the first time ever). Our way home will be via Montreux

on Lake Geneva (where we will celebrate with our son and his girlfriend).

Later this year, there is supposed to be another once in a lifetime trip, this time to Chile. After a stopover in Buenos Aires, we will head to the Atacama Desert and to Patagonia

Photo by Claudio Mota: https://www.pexels.com/photo/birds-eye-view-of-the-grey-glacier-in-the-torres-del-paine-national-park-9638303/

as well as to Santiago de Chile and Valparaiso. And finally, Madeira is again on the agenda for the end of the year.

So, that is it to my travel update on Swiss Traveler. Let us see what happens between now and the end of 2023! Happy traveling to all of you!

The post What has happened in the last two years travel wise? And what is in store for 2023? first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post What has happened to me in the last two years travel wise? And what is in store for 2023? appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

It has been a year since Corona emerged in western Europa, and it seems to be a good opportunity to look back and forward. Since my last update end of September 2020, I have been able to do some domestic travel in Switzerland one time or the other – despite the pandemic. I also did some cornerstone content about Switzerland, my home country. Then I published six posts about my last big trip before the virus took a stranglehold on the world. This was a truly memorable Japanese journey back in 2019. And finally, I also have a travel idea for the time to come.

Travel in Switzerland in Corona times

Lucky me, I live in Switzerland where domestic travel was still possible in large parts of the Corona year of 2020 and later. After the end of the first lockdown on May 11, it was possible to travel again, domestically and even internationally to some extent.

When the second surge arose mid October, local travel was still possible yet less desirable. As from December 22, the second lockdown came into effect. Restaurants had to close, but hotels could stay open. The same was true for hotel restaurants – and ski slopes.

Towards the end of 2020 and at the beginning of 2021, some parts of Switzerland turned into hotspots of foreign travelers. This was due to the somewhat lax Corona regime with fewer restrictions that in many neighboring countries. This changed mid January 2021 when traveling to Switzerland from abroad became more difficult. However, for Swiss people domestic travel was always an option. While it was not exactly encouraged by the Swiss government, there were no obstacles in the way of doing so.

Lots of domestic travel in Switzerland since my last big trip

I almost always traveled domestically during the first three quarters of 2020 (see my last travel update). My last big trip took place in November 2019 and went to Japan. I have recently published on my blog the last five of six posts in total about my Japanese journey. The topics included luxury hotels, find and reserve (Michelin) restaurants, our choice of gourmet dining-spots, luxury ryokan experience and two off the beaten path destinations.

As it was my first Japanese journey ever, I did the so-called “Golden Triangle of Japan” (Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka) with three extensions (Hakone, Takayama & Kanazawa). This route also goes under the name of “The Second Golden Triangle of Japan”. And to get a taste of rural Japan too, I even went beyond, and this to Kiso Valley and to Yakushima Island (itinerary).

More domestic travel in the last quarter of 2020 

My last vacation in 2020, together with my husband, was in November. Originally, we had wanted to go to west Australia. But of course we had to cancel our arrangements. As a long-haul journey end of 2020 did not seem appropriate, we instead contented ourselves with yet another local trip.

Gourmet delights at three-star Michelin chef in southeastern Switzerland

We checked out the weather forecasts and the Corona situation and headed to the southeast of Switzerland. We were lucky and could get a reservation at one of the three Michelin three star restaurants in my home country. And this was a last minute offer for staying and dining at Schauenstein Castle in Fuerstenau in the southeastern pre-Alps. Here Andreas Caminada, probably Switzerland’s most famous chef, performs his magic (my post).

Mediterranean feelings in South Tyrol, Italy’s northernmost province

Then we continued to go east, and left Switzerland in the direction of the South Tyrol. This is Italy’s northernmost province – adjacent to Switzerland. Here they speak German (and Italian) and you find everything from Alpine peaks (the Dolomites) to Mediterranean areas (Merano). My husband and I felt like going to warmer climes and settled therefore for the latter.

We had a great three-day stay at the Hotel Villa Eden in Merano (my post about two great luxury here) and wanted to add another two days at the Hotel The Terra – The Magic Place – , situated a bit higher up in the mountains. I had been looking forward very much to our stay here. The hotel features a remote setting, views of the Dolomites and a two-star Michelin restaurant. But then the Governor of South Tyrol shut down the province to tourists because of Corona. And so we went back to Switzerland.

Yet more Mediterranean vibes in Ticino, Switzerland’s south

After a short-stay in the Lower Engadine (Scuol, Hotel Guarda Val), we proceeded on to the south of Switzerland, Ticino, once again. In late summer we had spent a week in Ascona. Now we opted for Lugano, and this at the fabulous Hotel Splendide Royal. After three days here we even prolonged our stay for two more days (my post)!

As to details to hotels, restaurants and activities of 2020, I am unfortunately behind schedule, sorry for that! Hopefully, I will be able to deliver correspondent blogposts in the time to come!

Ski vacations end of 2020 & beginning of 2021

While my husband and I wanted to spend the time over New Year with friends in Davos at their vacation home in the first place, we canceled this arrangement. Restaurants were closed at the time and the ski resort had already filled up with masses of tourists before Christmas. And it was to be feared that going into town and shop would be a nightmare.

Skiing & winter hiking in Arosa in the southeastern Swiss Alps

As we did not want to stay at home during these holidays, we looked around for an alternative. Usually, my husband and I are hesitant about booking a stay at a ski resort over New Year as the rates are far too high. But given the Corona situation coming along with lots of cancelled trips, we decided to make an exception.

After thinking long and hard, we went for a five-day stay at the Tschuggen Grand Hotel in Arosa in the southeastern Swiss Alps. We already knew its sister hotel Eden Roc (my post) in Ascona and we were familiar with the ski resort, too. As we booked short-term, we could make sure that we went for the ideal place in terms of the weather situation. And it turned out well – both the weather and the hotel!

Skiing & winter hiking in Zuoz/Upper Engadine in the Swiss Alps

Back from Arosa it was already time to give the subject of the annual ski vacation some thoughts!

Normally, we book them well in advance, but not this time, due to Corona. My husband and I were not eager to plunge into the fray alongside tons of other skiers. And we went on a search for the ideal place. Conditions to be fulfilled were: favorable weather forecasts, quiet location, opportunities for skiing (ski-in/ski-out if possible) and winter hiking, reasonable pricing (as we had overspent over New Year).

And we did make a find! We chose Hotel Castell in Zuoz in the Upper Engadine, again in the southeastern Swiss Alps. While the ski area of Zuoz is small and ideal for families, the slopes were perfect (also for advanced skiers) and empty! And the hotel was a real find!

Soon on my blog you will find more information on these two hotels, which are both suitable not only for winter vacations but for other seasons, too.

Where do I go next? More domestic travel?

That is the big question! Originally, we had booked a Bhutan trip for April 2021 – actually already for April 2020, and we had payed it in advance 🙁 And of course, we had to postpone it one more time! And now my husband and I are faced with the question of what to do instead. The Corona situation presents itself unstable. There are simply too  many questions marks. We do not feel confident enough to book an air trip. And the near abroad does not seem to be a great option either.

The situation, as it is today, makes us opting for just another “Swisscation”. Switzerland has definitely much to offer as a travel destination. Yet, I have already experienced quite a lot of recent staycations. And I feel like crying out for a real change – not for more of the same.

Having said that, we need to be realistic, and that means more domestic travel in Switzerland. Actually, there are still regions in my home country that I want to travel a bit deeper. In this context, I especially think of the western part of Switzerland, the French speaking one. Let us see what comes out of it!

What is going on my blog?

Cornerstone content Switzerland

After so many Switzerland trips, I thought that it was high time to dive a bit deeper into travel opportunities in my home country. And so I created some cornerstone content for Switzerland. What is this about? This is supposed to be content of enduring value. It is intended as help for (luxury) travelers wanting to make the best out of their Swiss journey.

My evergreen content for Switzerland, which I will update regularly, covers following topics. First, there is a guide how to visit this Alpine country. I suggest one basic tour that you can complement with five modular tours as you please. All together goes under the name of “Grand Tour Switzerland”.

Second, you will find advice on which luxury hotels to choose along the route described (part one and two). Third, I did the same for (Michelin) fine dining when traveling the “Grand Tour Switzerland” (part one and two). And finally, I highlighted premium destinations that have a certain “sexiness”.

What is next on my blog?

My next step will be to write about the two hotels in the Swiss Alps where I have been recently (Hotel Castell Zuoz and Hotel Tschuggen Arosa). Then I want to point out two great luxury hotels in the South Tyrol, Italy’s northernmost province. I also would like to go into where to stay & dine in style in Lugano, Switzerland’s south. And I want to report on how it is staying and dining at Restaurant Schauenstein in Fuerstenau in the Swiss pre-Alps. This is Andreas Caminada’s place, one of Switzerland’s best chefs.

Sometime in between, I will publish a post (already finished) about lunching and hiking in Switzerland’s most beautiful wine region, the Lavaux. And there are quite a few restaurants and the one or the other hotel still waiting to be reported on. You see that I am not running out of work, despite Corona!

The post My travel update after a year of Corona regime first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post My travel update after a year of Corona regime appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

Venice is undeniably one of the most popular places to visit in Europe. The uniqueness of its lagoon setting made it a worldwide attraction for centuries. Unfortunately, this fact made it to one of the most overtouristed spots as well! And this was also the reason that my husband and I had never been to this city before. With the appearance of Corona, we saw the chance to visit it without the crowds. We squeezed it in between two other destinations and organized a two-night trip to this magnificent place on short notice. And that was enough reason for me to do some research about Venice and its overtourism.

After some facts and figures to Venice as one of the world’s most overtouristed places, I do not want to withhold from you how it is to experience this City of Canals in Corona times. And of course, it was totally different than it was before this virus messed up the travel word.

As always, my husband and I made sure that we could travel Venice in style. We booked two nights at a luxury boutique hotel complete with a foodie dinner at its in-house Michelin starred restaurant. Details on how to stay and dine in Venice if you like the finer things in life will follow soon on my blog.

About Venice and its overtourism

Please note that all the facts and figures mentioned here stem from the very interesting New York Times article “Venice Tourism May Never Be the Same. It Could Be Better.” (by Anna Momigliano; July 2, 2020).

Venice has been a magnet for travelers for centuries. At the end of the 18th century, wealthy Europeans started visiting it as part of “the Grand Tour”. Lord Byron was among the city’s earliest holiday makers. A funny detail, our hotel room in Venice was named after him!

By the late 20th century, Venice became a “tourism monoculture”, i.e. tourism has been its only economy. Tourists became more and more and before the residents realized it, there were too many of them.

It is estimated that the number of tourists amounts to 20 million annually, and this predominantly concentrated in an area of two square miles and 50,000 residents! This was of course before Covid-19. In the high season, Venice was impossibly crowded, especially in its narrow alleyways, some just two meters, or six-and-a-half feet, wide.

Tourism did change Venice, and not in a positive way. While the city’s historical center had at its peak in the 1950s 175,000 residents, this number fell below 60,000 in 2009 and it is now down to 50,000. Many residents consider some parts of their city as off-limits at certain times. They say for example that is impossible to cross the famous Rialto Bridge between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. without throwing elbows.

Day trippers (about half of the visitors) are especially harmful as they are on constant move. They disembark from cruise ships, train stations and bus tours. And they always crowd the same spots around St. Mark’s and the Rialto. An interesting fact is that for instance the cruise day trippers bring as little as 21 SFR/US$ per day and capita to the city (if they do not spend the night)!

Venice in Corona times

End of February, Venice’s overtourism came to a sudden halt. When Italy lifted its restriction on movement in early June, the lagoon began to see a few visitors. At the beginning, most of them were day trippers from the surrounding Veneto region. With time, others came, too. First, mainly Italians, afterwards also travelers from neighboring countries. I guess most of them took the car to get here, some also the train. From what I read, most of the hotels in Venice opened as from July or so, in contrast to those in Rome or Florence.

When my husband and I were in Venice at the end of August/beginning of September, there were tourists. Not many of them, as we were told, but quite a few, at least in the St. Mark’s

and the Rialto area. Except from those popular spots, there were no crowds. We were almost never forced to slow our pace – we had only two days here – , when we explored the city’s historical center, consisting of two islands. The foreign tourists we met were mostly German, often families. Yet there were no people from oversea, neither Americans nor Asians. It felt like traveling twenty or thirty years ago!

Of course, you have to see the major sights in Venice. Yet it is much better to aimlessly stroll through the city’s calli (walkways). By doing so, you can enjoy the city’s slow pace and its faded beauty.

At certain times, the streets were eerily empty. When we walked back to the hotel one night while it was raining heavily, we were the only people around. My husband and I were so happy that we had made it to Venice before it might become unvisitable. Either due to too many tourists or also because of high tides, the other big problem of this city.

After all this information on Venice’s overtourism and how it is here in Corona times now to a more pleasant topic. My next blogpost will be about where to go for a luxury stay

and a gourmet dinner

in this city.

Date of stay: September 2020

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The post Venice – its overtourism & stay in Corona times appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

It may be a bit early to give a final judgement on my (Corona) travel year of 2020 but I do not think that there will be many surprises waiting for me in this context until December. At least no positives ones! In the worst case, it will come down to an actual stop of traveling abroad. But hey, hope dies last! Having said that, let us stay realistic. The travel year of 2020 is a disaster, at least when it comes to international trips. And it is to be feared that it may not be much better in 2021, too! This unsatisfied desire for wanderlust makes me think about the importance of travel. Why do people feel such a need to explore distant destinations? 

Travel wrap up 2020

1. Early Corona times

When I started my first vacation towards end of January 2020 – one week skiing in Zermatt

in Switzerland – , the threat of Corona was already looming. There were some occasional cases in Europe yet the dimension of this virus was far from being clear. Shortly afterwards, as from March 16, Switzerland was placed on lockdown, and this until May 11.

My husband and I had planned to travel to Bhutan in April. But of course we had to cancel this trip. We postponed it to the same time in 2021. As to the flight (we were meant to fly via Bangkok with Swiss), we changed it to end of December. At the time, we thought that it might be possible to do a Thailand journey. We have never been to this country and considered it as a viable option to get to know it.

Towards the end of April – in the middle of the lockdown – we got more and more itchy feet. We knew that we had to secure at least one vacation in the foreseeable future that might actually become true. The decision fell on the most southern area of Switzerland, the canton of Ticino. This is one of the few spots in my home country with some sort of a Mediterranean feel. We made use of a seven for five nights package in a hotel in Ascona

where we already stayed in 2018, and this for early September.

2. After the lockdown

When the lockdown in my home country was over, my husband and I thought about where to go for summer vacations before the upcoming Ticino trip in late summer. We had not taken any other bookings yet as there was a big journey to West Australia scheduled for fall. We decided on further local vacations as we wanted to support the domestic travel industry.

After a one-nighter in the Zurich Lake area

end of May – our son has recently started living here – we spent three days in Bad Ragaz

in the eastern pre Alps the following month. We had a fabulous stay at the hotel of the year 2020, awarded by the Gault Millau guide. And we had a fantastic dinner at its two Michelin star restaurant Memories by Sven Wassmer.

Still in the same month, we had another one-nighter, this time in the Lake Constance area,

in the eastern part of Switzerland. And it was combined with another two Michelin star experience.  Actually, this was good luck as it had “only” one star at the time of booking.

In July, my husband and I headed to the Alps, and this to the Lower Engadine

in the country’s east. Here we had a four-day stay at Switzerland’s smallest five-star hotel. My husband and I enjoyed it here. We were outdoors a lot and hiked the area.

Before our scheduled September vacation in Switzerland’s south we had one more short stay. This time in Geneva,

the most known city in the French part of the country. Being in the area, we checked one thing off our travel bucket list, a hike in the Lavaux

wine region. Here is my post about it.

3. Latest vacation 

And here it came, our latest and so far longest trip in the Corona summer of 2020, the seven-day stay in Ascona. My husband and I had made sure that we had four free days left before it started. This in order to go to a place with favorable weather on a short notice.

Lucky us, my sister in law and her husband asked us to accompany them to an event of their car brand, a dinner with Heiko Nieder,

the two star Michelin chef at the Dolder Hotel in Zurich. This took place in Saint Moritz

in the Upper Engadine – remember, we already were in the Lower Engadine. And as they stayed at St. Moritz’s fanciest hotel, the Badrutt’s Palace,

we did too.

While we first wanted to spend all the four days left in the Upper Engadine, we spontaneously decided against it. Caught by wanderlust, we shortened our Saint Moritz stay and squeezed in two nights in Venice

before going to southern Switzerland. We have never been to this city of water so far. We had somehow missed to go there before its overtouristed times. Later on, we refrained from visiting it, turned off by the crowds. And now we thought it was perfect for exploring it, devoid of the masses and with not too many Corona cases.

And it was a great thing to do! More details to be found in my next blogpost. As an added plus, we only had four and half hours to drive by car to reach it from Saint Moritz and three and half hours to get to Ascona, where we were due afterwards for a week in the Ticino.

What is next?

Of course, we had to cancel our mentioned trips to West Australia

(with Singapore Airlines, they paid back the flight without hesitation) and to Thailand (Swiss “only” issued a voucher). We still have two more weeks of vacation to spend in 2020. In these uncertain times, we would rather not book ahead. My husband and I intend to act spontaneously once they come within reach.

After spending so many vacations close to home, we feel the urgent need to go further. Venice was a good start, but we definitely want more. We sense the lure of international experiences instead of looking again to our own backyards.

Chances are that this vacation will lead us no further than Europe. It does not seem likely that we will be able to travel to far-flung locations at the moment. This unsatisfactory situation makes so many people unhappy, which brings up the question: Why is this so?

The importance of travel

We are a migratory species, we are not meant to stay put for the whole life! People need a safe heaven (home), yet there is an urge to escape from it: to see new places, to learn other things, to make different experiences. It is a human need to reach out beyond the known to see what is further away. It is our nature to explore, to go to unfamiliar places and to unfold their magic.

Once accomplished, we return home, with our “trophies”, whatever they might be. Yet one thing is for sure, we have gained “a new way of looking at things” as how it Henry Miller, the writer, expressed.

What travel enthusiasts miss right now is the chance to move as freely as they want. They are forced to be sedentary and not be able to experience the big, beautiful world out there. Of course local travel is possible. But as much as I find my home country beautiful, I do know it too well. I miss the unpredictable, the adventure, the exotic.

Soon on my blog

It will not be long until the one-year anniversary of my last big journey, a three-week trip to Japan.

So far, I only published a post outlining the itinerary. I did this at the beginning of February, just before the world found itself plunged into the Corona crisis. I held back with the publication of the remaining five blogposts about Japan (topics: hotel to stay in style, find and reserve gourmet restaurants, fine dining restaurants, ryokan experience, 2 off the beaten path destinations). It did not feel right to me to report from places where you cannot travel to for the time being. Although the situation is unchanged, I do not want to wait much longer. Going to Japan will be a possibility again. And it may do you good to dream of future trips to the Land of the Rising Sun. Therefore, find information how to stay and dine in style in Japan

soon on my blog!

Before doing so, there will be two posts about my recent Venice

stay, as announced. The first will be about its overtourism and staying in Corona times, the second about where to stay and dine in style in this City of Canals. Then I also have plans to make some cornerstone content about Switzerland (a guide to visiting Switzerland as well as where to go here for luxury and gourmet travel – hotels: part one and two | restaurants: part one and two). Furthermore, there are reviews for quite a few Swiss restaurants in the pipeline, still to be written. But these will have to wait until later.

For now, I put on a brave face and enjoy my existence as a member of a “staycation nation”, born out of necessity. Not only I but many of us have taken travel as granted. Once this has passed, I am sure that we all will travel with more gratitude than ever before!

The post Travel during the Corona year of 2020 & thoughts about wanderlust first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post My travel activity in the Corona year of 2020 & thoughts about wanderlust appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

It seems that the Coronavirus has come to stay. Therefore, restaurateurs have to study how to get back to hosting diners during the pandemic. They cannot turn back time. Dining at restaurants at this stage will look different, much the same as in the travel and hotel industry that I went into in my last post. What are possible scenarios of a new way of dining in the time of Corona? Here is an overview of what it might look like.

In a first step, legal requirements must be followed when it comes to dining at these times. Beyond that, there is a myriad of ways to handle the current situation in the gastronomy. It matters to me to show what might be feasible from a restaurateur’s point of view yet also what could be desired from a customer’s perspective.

Will the new way of dining be only temporary?

While the new era of dining out has already begun in Asia, certain European countries – Austria and Switzerland –

are on the verge of reopening their restaurants. America however still has a way to go in this respect. Chances are that many pandemic measures in restaurants will remain. A quick return to old times of dining out does not seem likely. As a consequence, restaurant owners need to carefully consider how to shape their reopening regime.

The Asian approach of pandemic dining

As Asian countries are one step ahead of European ones, it makes sense to look how they handled the situation. Hong Kong might be a good model as it plays some sort of east-west bridge function.

In Hong Kong diners must have their temperatures checked. They also have to sign a health declaration form using a freshly sterilized pen, provided by the restaurant. It is mandatory that tables are spaced one-and-a-half meters apart. Alternatively, plastic panel setups on the tables can be used to protect from possibly contracting the Coronavirus. The maximum party size is four. Both servers and guests wear masks. Diners are allowed to remove them to eat and drink only. For this purpose, some dining-outlets offer envelopes for placing them. Staff sanitizes surfaces every half-hour. If restaurateurs do not follow the government rules, this can bring a high fine and time in jail. These measures are effective until May 7 so far.

While this regimen appears rather rigid for western countries, there is no way around adapting some of it for recreating the dining room as a safe space in Europe and America, too.

Government rules in Europe regarding eating out in Corona times

Austria and Switzerland are among the first countries in Europe that will open their restaurants after the lockdown. Compared to the measures in Hong Kong, the rules in Austria and Switzerland seem less tough.

In Austria, restaurants will reopen as from May 15. Parties of four adults plus own children are allowed. And you have to keep one meter distance from guests at other tables. You cannot just show up in dining-outlets but you have to make reservations beforehand. Restaurants must close at 11pm and bar service

is not possible. Whereas the staff has to wear face masks, the guests do not.

In Switzerland, the reopening of restaurants will take place on May 11. The maximum of diners per table is four. In case parents come with their children, they can all sit together (but with no additional diners). Only sit down service is allowed. Tables must be spaced two meters apart or separated by partitions.

The employers’ association in the gastronomy, GastroSuisse, has just issued a safety protocol with further rules and strong advices. Amongst others, restaurant guests can deposit their personal data in a database (voluntary, changed May 8) or are urged to use face masks in certain situations. The Federal Council decides on May 27 how to continue in the restaurant industry in more detail.

A point that seems unclear is the liability issue. What happens if a customer gets sick after dining at a restaurant? Is there a restaurateur’s liability for such a case? Of course, each country has to clarify this legal question individually.

Time will tell whether the regimen in these two countries is sufficient to protect from contracting the Coronavirus. It goes without saying that the mentioned Government rules are only a minimum. It needs more measures to provide real safety. Dining outlets must be ready not only to re-open, but to re-open right. Only so people will feel comfortable visiting restaurants. What are possible adaptions that restaurant owners have to take to prepare for a safe and sustainable re-opening?

What helps customers regain confidence in dining out?

There is a whole package of measures that restaurateurs can undertake to get diners back through the door. Above all else, it is necessary to draw up guidelines for recreating the dining room as a safe space.

Workers and diners likewise need protection. Apart from implementing the above mentioned Government rules, restaurant owners have to work out a concept for the “new dining out”. This might include following adaptions.

Reservations and Paying

If you have so far accepted walk-ins, you might consider introducing reservations. Think about what technology could help you in this respect. An online booking system for example allows not only an easier customer management, but it is also suitable to trace a possible chain of transmission. And it satisfies a guest need, too!

As to customers’ personal data it is essential to register it anyway, even if you do not opt for a reservation system. It might be necessary for contact tracing if infection occurs.

As to taking payments, aim to go cashless and contactless at the same time. Reflect on what kind of technology might add value to your business and whether it is worth investing.

Dining areas

In many cases, the table spacing is given by Government rules. As a consequence, many restaurants are only able to work at 50% capacity. This may not be profitable but helps them to stay afloat. It might be not really an option to wait to reopen until they could operate at full capacity as this will most probably take a long time.

In case you are concerned about profitability, ponder about faster table turns. You might envisage introducing fixed-timing dining, i.e. allocate time slots for dining, e.g. from 6pm to 8pm and from 8pm to 10pm. Perhaps purse the idea of different menus for certain times, e.g. 3-course menu from 6pm to 8pm, 4-course menu from 8pm to closing time and the big tasting menu starting between 6pm and 7pm. Maybe even a ticketing system would be feasible where diners book and pay in advance for a tasting menu (perhaps grant a small discount for doing so).

If you have any outdoor space, now it is the time to spruce it up. Make sure that it is looking its best as customers will be more likely to want to sit outdoors than indoors if weather permits.

And it probably goes without saying, keep everything clear and clean. Put a hand disinfectant dispenser at the entrance. Avoid placemats that are not machine-washed after usage. Eliminate salad bars and buffets,

but also e.g. cut lemons. Think about providing silverware and napkins that come in a protective covering or the use of domes on plates for food protection.

Menu development and pricing

Review your offerings, your menu is your main revenue generation tool! Re-design your menu in consideration of social distancing, safety and health. Offer a smaller menu that you are confident you can serve well – and fast in case you opt for a fixed-timing dining. Review portion sizes and keep minimizing food waste in mind. Maybe focus also on including more positive nutrients on menus or reducing the volume of meat.

A no-go thing to do in times of Corona are any kind of shared plates or family style servings. Almost certainly guests want to have their own plates instead of sharing them with their fellow diners.

You might have to increase prices based on changes required. Be honest about this. Chances are that your clientele will understand it and will get used to the new situation.

Ordering and table service

Remove multi-use menus in favor of disposable paper menus. Of course, this is not the right thing to do from a sustainability perspective. It may also be that guests study the menu online before coming to the restaurant. An idea might be providing a QR code to be scanned so that you can view the menu on the internet. In medium term, investigate viewing menu and perhaps also ordering dishes via an app.

Make sure that staff wears face masks all the time and be screened for signs of illness. Try to allocate your employees in such a way that they serve the same table throughout a guest’s visit to minimize extra social contact. Allow customers to serve themselves wine and other beverages from the bottle.

In terms of bringing dishes to your clientele, consider ways to serve without getting too close, such as using a side table or asking guests whether they would like to move away whilst food arrives.

Adapting business models

Crisis demand new thinking and new solutions. It is time to get creative! Maybe you have already tried out delivery and takeout options when people were on lockdown because of Coronavirus. Why not make it an additional revenue stream if eating out habits remain changed for some time to come? Maybe you have already visioned about how the restaurant experience could be recreated in people’s homes.

Revenue diversification may especially be a road to go if you are concerned about fronting the costs of reopening, only to be shut down again if cases rise.

As income from foreign travelers will not be an option for the time being, it is more important than ever that you cater to your local community. If you have loyal regulars, these will help you going.

Go your own way

People in the restaurant industry usually have opinions what works for them and their guests. As there is not a map for acting as restaurateurs in times like these, you have to make the best decisions with the terrain in front of you.

In the end, it will be a question of trust. If you have managed to build a brand and achieve integrity, people will trust you when you open the door again. And as examples show in Hong Kong, guests have accepted the new way of dining out in these times of Corona. They have got used to the “Corona restaurant regime”. It appears that they consider eating out still as a satisfying experience, although it might feel somewhat awkward.

Pin it for later

The post How will dining at restaurants look like in Corona times? first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post How will dining at restaurants look like in Corona times? appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

Travel in Corona times – especially by plane – will be different, and difficult. As it appears, there will be no quick recovery in the near future. The Coronavirus does not seem to disappear after this first wave, a second and maybe even a third wave may be probable. How will travel look like in these pandemic times? After having read tons of articles about this subject here a summary of my key findings and some assumptions in this respect.

Not only travel will undergo substantial changes but also the hospitality industry will be not the same. There will be significant modifications when it comes to staying in hotels and dining in restaurants, too. While I go into the hotel issue in this post, the dining industry is the topic of my next one.

Educated guesses, not certainties

Of course, nobody knows about the precise consequences of Corona for the developments in the travel industry. I am no expert in this field, yet I consider myself a seasoned traveler and a travel news junkie. Therefore, I felt compelled to list possible impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the way people will go on vacation in the near (or not so near) future.

So far every third Swiss citizen had to cancel or amend a booked trip because of Corona. And this is just the start! There will be more such travel rearrangements in the foreseeable future, and not only in Switzerland but all over the world. And it goes without saying, I am also affected by this wave of trip cancellations. My husband and I had to postpone a trip to Bhutan to next year and there is another one scheduled to Western Australia in late fall which is not very likely to take place.

When will we be traveling again?

I consider the situation from a Swiss/European point of view where we see the curve of Corona cases and deaths flattening. It might be different if you are an U.S. citizen where the disease is still spreading.

At the moment, it seems that the countries within Europe might open their borders end of June. When it comes to air travel, the first flying opportunities are likely to be in July or August. Yet it will last much longer until the air traffic rebounds to the pre-Corona level. As to intercontinental flights, there is little hope that they will take place before 2021. This is especially due to the assumption that many countries will not have removed their entry restrictions until then.

That might leave us to plan travel close to home

as from early summer. Maybe you might also be able to visit some neighboring countries at this point of time. But of course only those that were not too affected by the virus. These trips will be preferably by car. As from late summer, you might consider flying within Europe. And – as mentioned – intercontinental flights could be an option end of 2020, at the very earliest.

Plan driving trips in summer 2020

As indicated, the car might be the preferred means of transport

when it comes to traveling in 2020. Why not hitting the road and staying at a small hotel in a nearby remote area? A good idea is it also to look for places that offer those outdoor recreational activities.

Opting for a stay in your home country and avoiding big cities is the most obvious way to feel safe from catching the disease. And if you drive by yourself, you would be free to leave whenever you want. This might be an option as many hotels probably will adopt more lenient change and cancellations policies, at least temporarily.

There are more advantages if you choose domestic travel over international for the near future. When doing so, you are supportive of your country’s economy as there is not much hope that there will be many guests from abroad in these first months. And if you decide quickly, you may profit from discounts just as “pay for 5 nights, stay for 7 nights”. My husband and I have just made use of such an offer. So we have something to look forward to in these unpleasant times!

How will air travel be like in times of Corona?

I have still a glimmer of hope that my husband and I can start our scheduled air travels (Western Australia in late fall and Thailand in winter) and of course I am wondering how it will be when we can fly again. From what I read, it will most likely be a slow recovery that differs across the globe. Travelers might have to continue to contend with various travel bans, visa rules and lockdowns.

As to entry restrictions, the worst case scenario would be closed boarders (for non-residents.) Almost just as bad would be quarantining new arrivals. This would de facto mean that no tourism is possible. Embarrassing but acceptable measures could furthermore be monitoring who arrives as well as checking their health conditions and exposure history. Probabilities might be that some countries will also require contact tracing of visitors once being allowed to entry.

In the field of air travel, the industry is working on new hygiene and distance standards. These include the use of hospital-grade disinfectant as well as social distancing both in the air and on the ground. The latter will involve measures just as keeping all middle seats vacant in economy class or alternating window and aisle seats when they are in pairs.

You can also expect that airlines will try to identify travelers with medical conditions pointing to early stages of COVID-19. Conceivable practices before check-in might involve general health screening or rapid Coronavirus tests. Once a vaccine is available, a vaccination certificate might be mandatory to enter several countries, too. The onboard service will also be limited, be it in terms of food and beverage or cabin baggage.

In any case, it is highly probable that there will be fewer passengers on board than before. At the same time, airlines will presumably reduce their fleet size. And this would imply together with more costs due to additional Corona testing that the era of cheap air travel might possibly come to an end. Of course, there will be some incentive offers when the passenger volume is temporarily down, but only as an exception.

Accommodation in times of Corona

Where will we stay once we safely arrive at our destination? Will we choose vacation rentals or hotels? One thing seems clear, cleanliness will be important, very much so. Maybe we might feel more secure in hotels than in rentals because of presumed higher standards of property cleanliness with well-established cleaning processes and trainings?

Be it as it may, there will be no way around promoting hotel cleanliness. This will include the use of hospital-grade disinfectants and rigorous cleaning protocols accompanied by an increased frequency. And of course you need more space for social distancing. You may be able to use your phone to check in, to access your room and to order room service. All food handlers must be trained when it comes to safe food preparation and service practices. In-room dining will be more important and new needs require adapted guidelines in order to guarantee a delivery without contact. And last but not least, new approaches to buffets will be necessary. It is unthinkable that the current design e.g. for the breakfast buffet can be maintained – which I always thought has not been very hygienic.

As far as prices for hotel stays are concerned, they are prone to drop before they rise again in these early stages of Corona travel. And this despite rising costs as a result of pandemic measures. Unlike the air travel industry where the number of flights is likely to go down, a shortage of hotel rooms should be no issue. And therefore rates should rather decrease, at least in the near future. Later on you might face much higher prices at peak times in particular.

Possible trends in the travel industry due to Corona

Certainly travel will become more difficult in the time to come. Nothing will be the same in terms of flying but also staying at hotels will be different. Traveling will take great efforts, from all sides, including the travel industry and the customers. It may very well be that people make different choices, even weighing whether a trip is compelling enough to take the trouble. They will ask themselves if this is a place they just must be. There might be a higher threshold to choose to make a journey. Micro-trips, where people flew to far-flung locales for a short time just because fares were cheap and rentals were booming, will become less likely. Instead vacationers might consider fewer trips with longer duration. And maybe they will opt for more meaningful trips, too.

As a consequence of higher costs for air travel, there will foreseeably be less mass tourism. This development will be accentuated by the worldwide recession we will have to face. Maybe overtourism will go down in history as pre-pandemic phenomenon only? It seems possible that the Coronavirus contributes to a more sustainable travel, which is for the benefit of health, environment and cultural heritage. What might also be a possibility is a comeback of travel agents. It would be no surprise if people feel unsure about traveling and want to make use of a travel advisor.

Are you interested in prospective developments in the restaurant industry, too? Just as the travel and hotel industry, this branch will have to endure changes as a result of the current crisis around the Coronavirus. I checked out what had been written about this topic and want to let you know about it – of course with my ideas flowed in again!

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The post What will travel look like in times of Corona? first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post What will travel look like in times of Corona? appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

I took a stop from blogging to realize a long-planned project: moving my blog from Blogger to WordPress. And of course, I wanted to make my travel and food blog more professional while doing so. I have had this change in mind for quite some time, but I was always too busy preparing and documenting trips. Then a time window opened up between two big journeys, and I took the chance. Now I am back with my revamped travel and food blog!

Corona outbreak

When I started the switch to WordPress seven weeks ago, the Coronavirus had already emerged. But it was still restrained to China and some other Asian countries. And of course I hoped together with almost everyone that it will not spread to other parts of the world. As we know today, this wish did not come true, and now the virus is practically everywhere.

Change travel plans

As so many other travelers, my husband and I had to rearrange trips in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak. We postponed the Bhutan vacation to next year and were able – thanks to a relaxed ticket-change policy of Swiss airline – to rebook our flight to Bangkok (originally booked in order to reach Bhutan). Out of the blue, we are scheduled to a Thailand journey at the end of this year (rebooking beyond 2020 was not possible). But who knows when one will be able to travel again … Having said that, for many people all over the world worrying about going on their next vacation is the least of their problems right now!

Travels on hold

Notwithstanding the fact that going on a trip is not really an option in the near future, I think the next best thing to doing so is dreaming about journeys to come. At times like these, it might be a much-welcomed short escape from daily struggles. Transport yourself, even for a few minutes, to a place you long to be. Travel will be a possibility again, that is for sure. But will it be the same again? Nobody knows …

Travel blogging in these times

With this in mind, I decided to continue my blogging activities, at least as long as there is something to write about. I want to provide a source of inspiration for something to look forward to once normality returns to our lives. As mentioned before, my husband and I took a trip to Japan, our first one to the land of the rising sun, end of 2019. My last post before the blogging stop was about the itinerary of this three-week journey. I have five more blogposts about traveling in Japan to share with you: about staying in style, dining-out, restaurants for gourmets, a luxury ryokan and two off the beaten path places.

Furthermore – as I spent the time around New Year’s Eve in Paris – , I have a post ready for you about where do dine in style and where to go for a walk in my favorite city in the world.

I hope you find my “new” blog – and especially the mobile version useful for your future vacation planning. The latter has been improved by far compared to my earlier one. Stay safe and inspired, travel will be there to welcome you with open arms again when the Coronavirus passes!

The post Back with my revamped travel and food blog after a short break first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post Back with my revamped travel and food blog after a short break appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

After having done my first steps towards a more serious blogging activity about luxury travel and fine dining it is time to think about my work. And at the same time, I want to look back at 2016 and ahead to 2017.

Some backstory

When I started blogging in 2009, my blog mainly consisted of hotel reviews previously posted on TripAdvisor. Due to a professional reorientation, I was forced to stop my blogging activity for three years. At the beginning of 2016, I decided to resume it, but this time I wanted to do it properly. Not only should the hotel reviews be continued, but also restaurant reviews and travel reports should be added.

My first review published in 2009

 

I soon realized that blogging is much more demanding than I had thought. I will not go into details, but writing posts is only one part of the work. There is so much more. This includes the technical aspects of blogging, the promoting of your blog, browsing through established blogs, trying to get in touch with other bloggers and struggling to improve with each new post. It is a never-ending journey – and much underestimated by others who are not in the business! But I do not want to complain, I absolutely love blogging. I am still in my early stages and many things need to become better. In case you have tips for me, do not hesitate to share them.

Myself at Mandapa Hotel, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, in Ubud/Bali

 

2016 in review

When reviewing my posts, the goal to make reports of all my trips was reached. I also succeeded in doing reports of most restaurants visited in my home area. However, when it comes to detailed hotels reviews of the past years, there is still a long way to go. I worked off two years of hotel stays, but two other years are still waiting to be dealt with. In the light of this situation I had to drop my plan to make reviews in details of all the restaurants visited during my trips in 2016, it simply would have been too much work. But I have strong intentions of making it true in 2017!

Unfortunately no review of the fantastic restaurant The Kitchen of Bacchanalia in Singapore

As far as my blog as a whole is concerned, there is still a lot to be done, be it on the technical side, but also content-wise. I cannot change the fact that it is a blogspot blog, with all its limitations, But I try to make the best out of it. What I can change, is everything in the context of writing. I must make sure that I produce quality content that is appealing. Other important tasks involve enhancements regarding promoting my blog on social media and networking with other bloggers. Here again, I would be more than happy about tips from more experienced bloggers!

Review of gorgeous Hotel Royal Palm in Mauritius will follow in due time

 

Traveling 2016

Following travel destinations were on my agenda in 2016. It started with ski vacations in Zuers in the Austrian Alps, a short trip to Lisbon in South Europe and ten days in eastern USA (NYC, NOLA and Florida). Then there was a week on the Costa Brava in Northern Spain including Barcelona as well as two other short trips in the German-speaking part of Europe (Davos and Vienna). Later on, a 16-day stay in South Asia (Singapore, Bali & Lombok) was on the agenda, followed by a little less than a week in the Middle East in Muscat/Oman. And finally to finish this year, there were some days in Davos for skiing.

NYC, always a fave of mine (here Meatpacking District)!

One of the highlights of my travels in 2016 was the trip to the Costa Brava in Spain in South Europe. I was prejudiced because of its reputation as a destination for mass tourism, but I was proved wrong. It is an absolutely wonderful area with probably the most stunning scenery of cliffs and sea views I have ever seen!

Camino da Ronda S’Agaro/Costa Brava (Spain)

 

Travel plans 2017

Not all my travels for 2017 are already fixed of course, but three of them are booked. First of all, it is about the tenth stay (A record for me!) in Zuers/Austria for skiing vacations at the gorgeous Zuerserhof. There will be a second visit (after 2015) to the beautiful city of Hong Kong, this time with my husband and our adult son. And already fixed is my first trip to South America too. This is about a round trip in Ecuador followed by a Galapagos expedition cruise (My first cruise!) aboard Silver Galapagos. There is even a travel plan for 2018: a four-week journey to Australia, New Zealand and maybe to the South Sea. Recommendations for these destinations are very welcome!

Sun terrace of Zuerserhof, Zuers/Austria

 

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