Oprah Winfrey opened up about a “racist” experience she endured while in Switzerland last month. The talk show mogul explained in an interview Entertainment Tonight that she asked to see a handbag priced at $40,000 in Swiss boutique Trois Pommes, but was refused by a shop clerk who offered to show Winfrey a bag that was not quite as expensive. Winfrey explained that this incident proved to her that “racism still exists.”
Since the incident, Switzerland Tourism released an apology on their official Twitter stating that they are “very sorry for what happened to her” noting that the clerk “acted terribly wrong.”
Now, Zürich tourism has released s statement regarding the incident.
“This incident is actually very regrettable. We as Zürich Tourism are working closely together with our hotel partners to ensure an overall service quality,” the statement reads. “Furthermore we are promoting Zürich as a world class [S]wiss made city and we strive to ensure that Zürich is always presented in a positive light in all corners of the globe. Zürich is and should be known as an open-minded city.”
“It is our task to promote Zürich as an attractive tourist destination both at home and abroad,” Zürich tourism continues. “We also need to be able to deal with the occasional negative comment. But this unpleasant incident does obviously not support the image what we aiming at…Developments in recent years and the current statistics relating to overnight stays clearly show that the city and region of Zürich are constantly gaining in popularity.”
The Trois Pommes clerk is now denying claims that she declined Winfrey the bag based on racism, telling Daily Mail, “This is not true. This is absurd. I would never say something like that to a customer. Really never. Good manners and politeness are the Alpha and the Omega in this business.”
Image: ABC