The silver lining for Swiss tourism was the increase in guests from Asia
Keystone
The number of European tourists staying in Swiss hotels fell by almost 10% in 2015. Overnight stays from the euro zone were the lowest since 1958.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch and agencies
The latest figures from the Federal Statistical Office were released at Switzerland Tourism’s annual press conference in Zurich on Tuesday. The strength of the Swiss currency was highlighted as the familiar reason for ongoing problems seen in the sector.
Overnight stays in Swiss hotels totalled 35.6 million in 2015, a drop of 0.8% over the previous year. Guests from abroad made up 19.6 million of these, a drop of 1.7% while Swiss guests registered an increase of 0.2% to 16.1 million.
The largest decline in stays was from the Eurozone with a 9.3% decrease in Europeans staying at Swiss hotels. Key markets hit include Germany (-12.3%), Belgium (-9.5%), Italy (-7.6%) and France (-6.2%). The Federal Statistical Office said that this could be clearly attributed to the removal of the franc-euro exchange rate peg by the Swiss national Bank in January last year.
The unfavourable snow conditions seen in Switzerland at the start of the winter season also left their mark. In December, there were 2.5 million overnight stays, 5.6% fewer than in the previous year. Foreign visitors staying in Swiss hotels fell by 9.1% during this time, among the Swiss the figure was 1.4%.
Asian boom
One positive change in the 2015 figures was the increase in tourists from Asia, whose numbers have been growing since 2009. Last year saw a rise of 18.6% in overnight stays booked by visitors from Asia, a new high and the first time the figures crossed the four million mark.
China has become the fourth most important market for Swiss hoteliers. The absolute growth to 344,000 overnight stay among guests from China and Hong Kong was an increase of 33.3%. Switzerland Tourism has been working on making the alpine nation an attractive destination for this market during the winter season, as tourists from China do not traditionally come to ski, unlike many European or Swiss holidaymakers.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Winter season figures show fewer European tourists
This content was published on
Figures released by the Federal Statistical Office show a slight decline in overnight stays by foreign visitors, especially Europeans during the winter tourism season that lasts from November to April.
International visitors to Switzerland spend more money
This content was published on
According to the latest figures published on Monday, last year international tourists spent CHF550 million more in Switzerland than in 2012. Approximately two-thirds of the CHF15.6 billion total were spent on overnight stays in hotels and tourist accommodation in Switzerland. Spending by Swiss tourists abroad also increased (+4.4%), reaching a new peak of CHF14.9 billion.…
This content was published on
According to the Federal Statistical Office, the decrease in overnight stays by European tourists was almost twice the average decline, at an alarming 14.5%. Germans were responsible for the biggest chunk of no shows in terms of volume, with 78,000 fewer overnight stays. This is the second month of tourism statistics since the Swiss National…
This content was published on
Suffering under the strong franc, the Swiss tourism sector must focus more on quality and innovation to survive, says the boss of Switzerland Tourism. The share of European tourists to the alpine nation may fall to one-third of the overall total in the next five years.
Why working in tourism is no holiday for the Swiss
This content was published on
“Eighty per cent of our employees are non-Swiss,” Kevin Kunz, CEO of the Seiler Hotels group in Zermatt, tells swissinfo.ch. As he speaks, a German employee welcomes guests just inside the foyer of the five-star Mont Cervin Palace hotel and a Portuguese cleaner walks by, duster in-hand. “We have around 40 nationalities working here. The…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.