Swiss are big spenders for foreign travel

A beach beckons: the Swiss are some the world's most extravagant holidaymakers Keystone

The Swiss and the Austrians spend more per head on foreign travel than any other nationalities, according to new statistics. On average the Swiss spend $1,000 (SFr1,600) per year on foreign trips.

The Swiss are only topped in their outgoings by the Austrians, who spend an average of $1,173 a year, according to a report on 1998 by the International Monetary Fund and German central bank.

In terms of overall spending on foreign visits, people in the United States spent $57 billion. But when population figures are taken into account, that figure averages out at $214 per person.

Germany came second in terms of overall spending.

Despite the high spending by Swiss on foreign trips, the country earns more from tourism than its population spends abroad.

In 1998, the Swiss tourism industry had a “travel surplus2, taking in SFr700,000 more than was spent on foreign journeys. Germany, however, experienced a $25 billion “deficit” in that respect.

swissinfo with agencies