Di, Sep 20th 2022
Switzerland signs contract with Lockheed Martin, a famous alpine restaurant goes up in flames and more in our roundup of news from September 16 – 20.
Russians have long enjoyed traveling in Switzerland, putting their money in Swiss banks, moving businesses and even their lives to Switzerland.
Swiss government stops issuing tourism visas to Russians
The Swiss government this weekend halted all facilitated visas for Russian nationals, falling in line with the new European Union visa restrictions that have been put into place since the start of the Ukrainian war. Facilitated visas allow for short stays, no more than 90 days within a 180-day period. Switzerland has been a longtime favorite travel destination for Russians; the country has issued more than 9,000 visas to Russian citizens just this year. Swiss hotels recorded more than 61,000 overnight stays by Russian tourists from January to the end of July this year, according to the Switzerland Tourism organization. Russians tend to stay in Switzerland for three nights or more, on average, which is more than any other tourist group. Despite the loss in revenue, the Swiss travel industry is distancing itself from the group it once courted. Businesses like the Switzerland Travel Center are refusing to accept bookings from Russia. Mehr lesen.
Schweiz weitet Sanktionen gegen Russland aus
Switzerland signs deal with U.S. for fighter jets
Switzerland this week signed a contract with Lockheed Martin to purchase a fleet of F-35 fighter jets for $6.1 billion – a purchase that has long been mired in controversy. The jets will arrive between 2027 and 2030 to replace Switzerland’s current fleet of F/A-18s and F-5 Tigers. In 2021 the Swiss government announced its intentions to buy American fighter jets, after first exploring buying Airbus’s Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault’s Rafale and Boeing’s Super Hornet. Shortly after the announcement, opponents collected enough signatures to put the issue to a voter referendum under Switzerland’s direct democracy model. It has not yet been confirmed if the issue will be on the Swiss ballot slated for September 25. The government technically has until March to back out of the deal, but pulling out could put Switzerland in a delicate position with Washington. Parliament will have to abide by the results of the vote, whenever it does occur. Mehr lesen.
The Botta de Glacier 3000 restaurant cost CHF 17 million to build.
Famous high-altitude restaurant goes up in flames
Firefighters were unable to save the Botta de Glacier 3000 restaurant this week after a fire engulfed the famous Swiss restaurant built 3,000 meters above sea level in Diablerets. The restaurant was designed by renowned Swiss architect Mario Botta and built over 10 months in 2000 for CHF 17 million. The restaurant was a favorite among skiers and tourists because of its difficult-to-reach location on a glacier, accessible only by gondola. Because of that location, firefighters had to use three helicopters to bring enough water to put the fire out. It appears no one was inside the building or hurt, but the restaurant is completely destroyed. Police are investigating the cause of the fire and if there was any foul play. Read more.
Dieser Artikel darf frei weitergegeben und nachgedruckt werden, vorausgesetzt, es wird auf den Originalartikel verwiesen.
German 
English 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic