The association is also holding talks with leading tour operators and travel agents in Mumbai and Delhi to market their hotels, including the special promotional schemes and packages for the Indian tourists.

Vice-chairman of the association Hans Wiedemann told reporters that 1,40,000 Indian tourists visited Switzerland during 1998, a 30 per cent increase over 1997.

"Only 5 per cent of the Indian tourist visit our 24 hotels. We see a significant and huge potential market in India and hope that our efforts encourage the Indian tourist to visit our country and hotels", he added.

The campaign launched by the association includes presentations on Switzerland with its myriad attractions, special promotional schemes and packages and in-depth discussions on the Indian tourist market.

General manager of theassociation, Peter Marti, said some of the special packages offered by the association include a hotel pass, which allows customers to visit each of the 24 hotels as they please, the family pass that offers special discounts for children and a medical checkup programme

that gives hotel guests access to physicians from every field of specialisation for high-quality medical consultation.

Wiedemann said Sita Travels and Thomas Cook have already expressed interest in tying up with the association.

Association director-general Marco Torriani said this was the first visit of the association in the country. "Apart from the special packages that we are offering, the idea was to come and study the Indian market and then try to come up with more specific packages", he added.

Torriani said the unique selling proposition (USP) of the 24 hotels will be their extraordinary hospitality and first-class service. "Over 1500 service standards are checked and those not meeting the standards are excluded from themembership of the association", he said adding, "one of the member hotels is over 900-years-old."

The 24 hotels of the association are part of the 317 Leading Hotels of the

World properties spread over 68 countries.