Swiss hotels started the year with positive numbers. In January, the number of overnight stays in Swiss hotels increased by 5.2% to 2.7 million. However, these figures need to be explained.
One year ago, the overnight stays decreased by 6.8% to a total of 2.6 million due to the mild winter and lack of snow. The increase in January 2017 also represents a stabilization as suggested by the Federal Statistical Office (BFS) in comparison to the last three years.
Involved Youth Hotels
Nevertheless, it should be noted that the current figures include the overnight stays of fourteen Swiss youth hostels for the first time. Without them, the number of overnight stays would have risen by 3.7% in January 2017, as the BFS calculated.
The month of January is generally not very successful with respect to tourism as compared to the months of July and August. Changes in weather conditions or shifts in the prices of domestic and foreign guests are reflected in the figures.
A total of 1.4 million overnight stays in Swiss hotels went into the account of the foreign guests in January. This represents an increase of 4.8%. With domestic guests, the hotels generated 1.3 million overnight stays, a surplus of 5.5%, as the BFS reported. 49.4% was the share of Swiss guests.
Mountainous Regions
The following regions showed above-average growth; Graubünden (+8.9 percent), Valais (+7.3 percent), Bern (+7.7 percent) and Lucerne (+ 6.5 percent). Average growth was in the region of Ticino (+2.7 percent) and Canton of Zurich (+2.1 percent).
In some regions, as in Basel city (-7.7 percent) or in Jura (-17 percent), the overnight stays decreased significantly. St Moritz (+16.6 percent), Davos (+12 percent) and Zermatt (+6.9 per cent) were strong.
The three destinations show different proportions in Swiss guests: 28 percent in St. Moritz, almost 46 percent in Zermatt and more than 60 percent in Davos.