Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Early year camping boom thanks to nature trend

camp site with trees and campers
Keystone

Camping is booming in Switzerland this year: the first half of 2017 saw 1 million overnight stays at camp sites, more than in the last ten years according to the latest figures from the Federal Statistical Office.

The figures are provisional, and a fuller picture of the numbers won’t be possible until the end of the summer season, but compared to the same period in 2016 overnight stays at Swiss camp sites rose by 42%. In comparison, stays at holiday homes went up by 7%, hotels by 4%, and youth hostels and group accommodation by 2%.

Industry insiders and tourism experts are surprised by the large increase in people going camping. Although the reasons for the increase are not known, it is mostly Swiss holiday-makers who have been booking themselves into campsites so far this year. Camping holidays are becoming more popular again, as taking time away from big cities to get close to nature is back in fashion.

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR