The FDFA to launch internet platform “Itineris” to enable people travelling abroad to register online
Bern, 26.06.2012 - Effective immediately, travellers can register online with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). In this way they can be informed about changes in the security situation in their country of destination and contacted if necessary. These and other new services to travellers were presented today by Gerhard Brügger, head of the Consular Directorate, and other FDFA representatives. The FDFA is now also offering travel information on the Western European tourist destinations of Spain, Portugal, Greece and the United Kingdom.
The Swiss are considered to be the world's most enthusiastic travellers. Every year, they make around 16 million trips abroad. To prevent dream holidays from turning into nightmares, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) has steadily expanded and modernised its services for international travellers in recent years. The current range of services extends from a brochure, to a check list with valuable tips, to regularly updated travel advisories (in German, French and Italian) on 161 countries, to the FDFA HelpLine, whose staff members are on call around the clock, seven days a week to answer travellers' questions by telephone. In addition, the FDFA offers assistance within the framework of consular protection. In 2011 alone, more than 1,000 consular protection cases were registered. These cases mainly involved accidents, illnesses and deaths, as well as arrests.
At a press briefing, Gerhard Brügger, head of the FDFA's Consular Directorate, together with Andreas Maager, head of Swiss Citizen Services, and Esther Leupp, head of Travel Advice within the FDFA Crisis Management Centre, provided information about the Department's current range of services and latest innovations. Starting immediately, travellers are able to register in the FDFA internet platform “Itineris” information on their travel destination, people they will be travelling with and how they can be reached. This will enable the FDFA to promptly inform them about changes in the security situation in their country of destination and if necessary to get in touch with them. The new system also facilitates the search for missing persons.
Another innovation is related to travel advice. On the request of citizens and the travel industry, the FDFA has also begun to publish travel advice for Western European countries. The first travel advice focus on popular tourist destinations: Spain, Portugal, Greece and the United Kingdom, venue of this year's Summer Olympics. Future travel advice will gradually be extended to other Western European countries. For the past few months, the travel advice service has also been keeping travellers informed via Twitter.
In the future, the FDFA plans to develop its range of consular services to meet growing demand and in line with the Confederation's foreign policy strategy. The success of the FDFA HelpLine, which was introduced in early 2011, shows how great travellers' need for information is: Last year, HelpLine staff handled a total of 15,601 enquiries, an average of 1,300 per month. By the end of May of this year, the number of enquiries had risen to 2,400 per month. Most of these enquiries concerned visa, marital status, citizenship and residents' registration issues.
Address for enquiries
FDFA Communication
Federal Palace West Wing
CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55
E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch
Twitter: @SwissMFA
Publisher
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html
