Tourism Case Study of Switzerland
Senior 3 · Geography
Tourism Case Study of Switzerland
Lesson 2 of 3
30 min
Let's begin
Rwanda is often called "the Switzerland of Africa" for its hills, its cleanliness and its order. The comparison is useful but needs care. Switzerland recorded 43.9 million hotel overnight stays in 2025 (FSO); Rwanda welcomed 1.49 million visitors who brought in US$685 million (RDB, 2025). The two countries share several advantages, but each also has something the other lacks. What makes each a tourist destination, and what can Rwanda learn?
Definition
Tourist destination: a place that attracts visitors and has the services to receive them. Accessibility: how easily a place can be reached, which depends on transport links, distance, cost and visa rules. Hospitality industry: hotels, restaurants and other businesses that serve guests.
| Factor | Switzerland | Rwanda |
|---|---|---|
| Main attraction | Alpine scenery, snow, lakes | Mountain gorillas and other primates, wildlife, scenery |
| Relief | High Alps (over 4,600 m) with glaciers | Hills, volcanoes up to 4,507 m (Karisimbi), no glaciers |
| Climate | Four seasons; snow in winter | Mild all year, two rainy and two dry seasons |
| Lakes | Geneva, Lucerne, Zurich and others | Kivu, Muhazi, Burera, Ruhondo and the Akagera lakes |
| Accessibility | Close to rich European markets; road, rail and air | Far from most rich markets; mainly by air (Kigali International Airport, RwandAir) |
| Internal transport | Dense railways, cable cars | Good main roads; no railway |
| Experience and skills | Over 150 years, famous hotel schools | Young but fast-growing industry; hospitality training expanding |
| Safety and stability | Very high | High; one of Rwanda's main selling points |
| Conferences | Geneva (UN), Davos (World Economic Forum) | Kigali Convention Centre; MICE earned US$94.7 million in 2025 (RDB) |
| Strategy | Mass and quality tourism, all year | High-value, low-volume tourism (for example the US$1,500 gorilla permit) |
| Cost to visitor | High (strong Swiss franc) | Varies; some high-priced products |
Worked example
Worked example 1: comparing measures. Can we say Switzerland has "29 times more tourists" than Rwanda because 43.9 ÷ 1.49 ≈ 29.5?
No. The Swiss figure counts hotel nights (one guest staying five nights counts five times), and includes Swiss residents; the Rwandan figure counts visitors arriving. To compare fairly we need the same measure for both, such as international arrivals or tourism revenue. Always check what a statistic counts before comparing it.
Worked example
Worked example 2: the value of the strategy. A gorilla permit costs US$1,500 (RDB). If a family of 4 visits for one trek, what do they pay for permits alone? If a Swiss mountain railway ticket costs about US$250 per person (illustrative), how many tickets equal one family's gorilla permits?
Permits: 4 × 1,500 = US$6,000. Railway tickets: 6,000 ÷ 250 = 24 tickets. Rwanda earns a great deal from each gorilla visitor; Switzerland earns from very large numbers of visitors each paying less for each activity.
Warning
"Rwanda is the Switzerland of Africa" is a slogan, not an explanation. In the exam, compare the countries factor by factor and show both similarities and differences.
DeltaStep: tourism in Switzerland, a case study. As you watch, list the factors it gives and tick those that also apply to Rwanda.
Practice
Sources and credits
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
