Raffles Education skis into Switzerland

FROM the animated city of Sydney to the atmospheric Clarke Quay in Singapore and the dusty charm of Phnom Penh, the business voyage of Raffles Education Corp - one of Asia's largest private school operators - has now taken it to Europe, on the slopes of Nendaz in Switzerland.

In its maiden foray into Europe, the mainboard-listed company said on Thursday that it will buy a spanking new four-star hotel with seven commercial units below and land with readily available teaching facilities and dormitories for 29.12 million Swiss francs (S$39.8 million).

Raffles Education plans to set up schools for hospitality management and design and a Swiss International Baccalaureate school there.