Switzerland leans on its tourism

After a decrease in 2015 and a difficult winter season, Swiss tourism is slowly on the up and up. The annual growth of hotel nights should reach 1,4 % for the summer season, according to the last published figures.

Swiss hotel business had a tough winter due to the lack of snow, a strong franc and many global uncertainties. The result is a loss by 1,6 % in the number of hotel nights compare to last winter, with a noted decrease in European tourists, underlined the centre for short-term researches (KOF) of the polytechnic School of Zurich on Tuesday.

“The worldwide economy perspectives have been negative since autumn, and terrorist threats have had an impact on extra-European tourism“, has nuanced Jan-Egbert Sturm, the director of the KOF (Swiss short-term research centre) to of the media. Consequently, his predictions were slightly lessened, but remain optimistic.

Last winter season, hotel nights reserved by foreign clients lowered, while those of the local inhabitants gained 0,5 % compared to the previous winter. As a reminder, in 2015 the hotel business had registered 35,6 million hotel nights, meaning an affluencal decrease by 0,8 % from 2014.

Very sought out urban adventures

While Europe is slowly building itself up, particularly in terms of consumerism, the stabalizing of exchange rates should bring a new impulse, assures Mr Sturm. The demands of Swiss clients should also help to improve the domestic situation.

For the current summer season, KOF predicts a growth of 1,3 % of hotel nights from local inhabitants. Foreign tourists will also be coming back to the Helvetic hotels, with an increase in 1,5 % this summer. The cities will particularly profit from it altough the Alpine regions will not be forgotten.

It is to be noted that by launching its summer campaign, Switzerland Tourism also hoped also to see its situation stabilize. Paragovernmental organisations are even depending on a 2,6% increase for its summer season, thanks to indigenous tourists.