B&B accommodation sets new record

Switzerland enjoyed an "excellent result" in the bed and breakfast business last year, according to its umbrella organisation.

There were 348,691 overnight stays, a 32.3 per cent increase on 2007, Bed and Breakfast Switzerland reported on Friday.

The organisation said the result was attributable to the increasing number of private households or small guest houses offering such accommodation.

It noted that the booking rate of rooms had increased from 19.2 per cent to 22.5 per cent.

It added that the positive development was shown in the number of visitors on the internet site Bed and Breakfast Switzerland, with an increase of 20 per cent or more than 800,000 visitors.

The number of beds offered has reached 5,191 compared with 4,482 one year ago.

Switzerland remains the most loyal to the B&B concept, making up 41.9 per cent of the guests, followed by Germany (19.4 per cent), France (6.9 per cent), the United States and Britain (3.8 per cent), Italy (3 per cent), Belgium (2.4 per cent) and Spain (1.5 per cent).

As in 2007, the average duration of stay was 2.4 days.

swissinfo.ch and agencies