Switzerland is making good preparations for the 2008 European soccer championships,
which it co-hosts with Austria, Swiss organizers said on Monday.
At a news conference in Bern, the Swiss organizers presented a "positive"
first report on the planning of Euro 2008, along with a first glimpse
of a national marketing campaign, Swiss Radio International reported.
"Football fever will spread throughout Switzerland," Matthias
Remund, director of the Federal Sport Office, told journalists.
Between one million and 3.2 million visitors are expected during the three-week
tournament.
According to the organizers, four Euro 2008 projects are currently up
and running in Switzerland, focusing on security, infrastructure and transport,
economic promotion and other special projects.
A unified marketing campaign, enabling Switzerland to profile itself at
the international level alongside the tournament, is also well advanced,
incorporating a special promotional slogan: "Switzerland. Discover
the plus".
"It's about turning the stadium floodlights away from the pitch and
focusing them on the rest of the country," said Jurg Schmid, head
of Switzerland Tourism.
A three-dimensional "plus" sign, built out of five red-and-white
industrial containers, will tour Europe in the run-up to the competition,
stopping off in the seven biggest European capitals to promote Switzerland.
The Swiss will get their first chance to see it for themselves in Lucerne
on December 2, 2007, during the draw for the Euro 2008 finals.
While joking that Switzerland is the only country with a plus sign in
its logo, Schmid stressed that the campaign would help portray the country
as the ideal place to work, study and play.
"The country should be presented in a unified campaign as a beautiful,
global, perfect place," he added.
To whet the public's football appetite, a wide range of events and initiatives
is being planned prior to the start of the tournament in June 2008, including
touring exhibitions, road shows and schools projects.
Anyone involved in Euro 2008 in direct contact with the public, especially
those in the hotel, tourism or restaurant businesses, will receive special
training on how to provide the best possible welcome to the hordes of
football fans expected to descend on Switzerland.
In a parallel development, Swiss parliament started discussions on Monday
on plans to deploy up to 15,000 soldiers to provide security during the
tournament.
The soldiers would be used mainly to support the operations of civilian
authorities in Switzerland's four Euro 2008 venues: the capital Bern,
Basel, Geneva and Zurich.
The army would protect buildings and secure Swiss air space but would
not be used to confront violent football fans. If needed, unmanned drones
and Super Puma helicopters with cameras would also be used to monitor
match venues.
The European football championships will take place in Switzerland and
Austria on June 7-29, 2008. Fifteen matches will take place in Switzerland:
in Basel, Bern, Geneva and Zurich.
, December 19, 2006.
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