Asian tourists flock to Switzerland to make their dreams come true

More and more Asian tourists are flocking to Iselwlad village to visit the filming location of the famous Korean drama "Crash Landing on You".

"It's a dream come true," said Filipino tourist Isabel Palijon as she gazed at the wooden pier surrounded by the turquoise waters of a Swiss lake, with the towering Alps in the background. She had finally arrived at the place she dreamed of after watching the Korean drama "Crash Landing on You."

Palijon is not the only tourist to say this. Since the film aired, the pier in Iselwlad village became famous and attracted many Asian tourists to visit. In the movie, the male lead sat playing the piano on this wooden pier.

A Chinese tourist takes a photo at the pier where Crash Landing on You was filmed. In the distance, a cruise ship packed with passengers is about to dock. Photo: EPA — A Chinese tourist takes a photo at the pier where Crash Landing on You was filmed. In the distance, a cruise ship packed with passengers is about to dock. Photo: *EPA*

Jiah Hni Gwee, 35, from Malaysia, looked at the place where the guitar used to stand on the pier in the film, and talked about her dream of someone sitting there and playing the guitar for her one day. "That would be so wonderful and romantic," the tourist said.

Gwee was among dozens of tourists strolling around the lake on a sunny day in June. Nearby, a large Swiss-flagged boat was docked, packed with tourists.

A survey by South Korea's Ministry of Culture found that "Crash Landing on You" was the second most popular Korean drama among international audiences in 2021, after "Squid Game." The show's success has given Iseltwald a headache, especially from 2022, when travel restrictions in most Asian countries are lifted.

The head of the Swiss tourist office, Titia Weiland, said the number of visitors had exploded. It was difficult to get an exact count, but estimates put the ratio at 1,000 visitors per person.

Titia said villagers were “happy to have so many tourists,” but admitted they were overwhelmed by the numbers. In the summer of 2022, about 20 large vans brought visitors to the village each day, blocking traffic and sometimes blocking the road into the village. Villagers also complained that visitors flocked to the wooden pier to take photos and then leave, leaving “a mess and spending very little money.”

A bird's-eye view of Iselwlad village. Photo: AFP — A bird's-eye view of Iselwlad village. Photo: *AFP*

To combat this, from May 2023 only pre-booked and paid parking will be allowed. Local authorities have also installed turnstiles at the pier. Visitors who want to enter to take photos will have to pay a fee of 5.50 USD. Sonja Hornung, manager of the Strand Hotel overlooking the famous pier, said the measures have made a positive difference. "Last year it was terrible (people crowding the pier to take photos) but this year has been much better," she said.

Asian tourists flock to the village. Photo: AFP — Asian tourists flock to the village. Photo: *AFP*

But the photo fee has left many visitors confused. Florita Lichtensteiger, a 64-year-old Filipino living in Switzerland, was surprised to learn she had to pay. She brought a relative here to take photos, bought a ticket for her, but did not go along because she had been here at least 10 times. "All my guests want to come here," Lichtensteiger said.

Park Na Yeon, 21, from South Korea, said that spending $5.50 to go through the turnstile to take photos was "not worth it." However, many people said that this was a practical action because the government will use this money to maintain the pier, making the place safer.

"Iseldwald is like heaven on earth. We want to protect it," said Titia Weiland.

Anh Minh (According to SCMP )

Source link