Tourism industry told to adapt to new travel habits
The future of tourism? A couple of hikers by the Seealpsee in northeastern Switzerland on May 17
Keystone
Going on holiday in one’s own country and in the countryside, in smaller groups and sometimes with restrictions – this is the new reality to which the tourism industry must adapt, according to a study by the University of St Gallen.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
Português
pt
Indústria do turismo deve se adaptar aos novos hábitos de viagem
Mobility and socialising: both are undesirable in times of Covid-19. The tourism industry was therefore the first to be affected by the government lockdown and other measures and “will be one of the last to re-open”, write study authors Christian Laesser and Thomas Bieger.
More
More
‘Clean and safe’ image could boost Swiss tourism
This content was published on
Switzerland Tourism believes the country’s reputation for cleanliness and tidiness could be a selling point once the Covid-19 pandemic dies down.
While people certainly want to travel, they remain reluctant to do so because of the health risks and economic uncertainties, they say. “For the time being, Switzerland must adjust to domestic tourism. This is difficult to control because of reluctant guests, short-notice travel decisions and short stays.”
Flexible pricing systems could help balance out peak times and capacity utilisation. In addition, locally and regionally valid vouchers with a nominal value that is higher than the price to be paid could boost demand, according to a statement from the University of St Gallen on Tuesday.
The authors expect an early recovery with smaller groups travelling with family or friends and people who do not belong to risk groups. Trips planned at short notice by car, motorbike or bicycle to relatively remote and sparsely populated areas are more likely to be popular than longer trips in larger groups using public transport.
Price pressure
Prices in urban hotels for tourists and businesspeople are likely to come under particular pressure in summer and autumn, the study predicts. It expects good demand and stable prices in other forms of accommodation as well as in rural holiday hotels with a high proportion of Swiss regulars.
While the recovery is starting in Switzerland, it is likely to spread to Europe from the third quarter of 2020. A recovery in tourism from other continents is not likely to set in until around mid-2021, the authors believe.
They think that international travel would not “reasonably recover” for another three years.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Zurich arbitration authority rules in favour of tenants of ‘Sugus Houses’
This content was published on
A conciliation authority says the terminations of 105 flat leases in the so-called "Sugus Houses" in the centre of Zurich were abusive. The tenants therefore do not have to move out - at least for the time being.
This content was published on
Visitors to Switzerland spent CHF19.6 billion ($23.9 billion) last year, a 2.2% rise compared to the previous year, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said on Monday.
This content was published on
Despite the current tense economic situation, Swiss consumer sentiment remains positive. The Swiss spent more money in May than the previous year, particularly on restaurant visits and leisure activities, as shown by the latest figures released by PostFinance.
This content was published on
A bear killed four sheep in the Lower Engadine region near Scuol, canton Graubünden, last week. This was the first bear attack on local livestock in four years.
This content was published on
Experts believe that economic development in Switzerland will be weaker in 2026 than the forecasts made three months ago. They have also lowered their predictions for the current year.
This content was published on
Fewer people in Switzerland have a religious affiliation and the proportion who practice their religion regularly is steadily declining, a survey finds.
Study: trees have major cooling effect even in extreme heat
This content was published on
Plane trees in cities have an important cooling effect even in extreme heat, according to a new study by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL).
EPFL launches digitised version of Battle of Murten panorama
This content was published on
To mark the anniversary of the Battle of Murten on 22 June 1476, the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) has launched a website that offers the public an immersive experience of the huge panorama painting of the historic battle.
77th Swiss Gymnastics Festival praised for ‘positive energy’
This content was published on
The 77th Federal Gymnastics Festival drew to a close on Sunday in Lausanne, after eleven days of popular celebration and sporting performances.
City tourism ‘to suffer the most’ over corona crisis
This content was published on
Urban tourism in Switzerland is likely to suffer this summer, but mountainous regions should benefit as the Swiss holiday at home.
This content was published on
In an interview with the Schweiz am Wochenende newspaperExternal link, Nydegger referred to a survey of 4,000 companies in the tourism sector. Some 23% of respondents feared that they would not come through the pandemic crisis unscathed. It is still not known when Swiss borders will be fully opened with other countries, although June 8…
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.