From January to June 2023, the Swiss hotel industry experienced a 13.8 percent increase in overnight stays, totaling 19.5 million. An increase in foreign demand fueled this growth, while domestic market demand remained stable. All months of the first half of 2023 showed an increase in overnight stays compared to the same period in 2022, and figures were also about four percent higher than the first six months of 2019 before the Covid 19 pandemic. While overnight stays by domestic travelers remained stable, with a mere 0.2 percent increase compared to 2022, only January and February recorded growth in the first half of 2023. The Federal Statistical Office (FSO) noted a decrease in demand ranging from minus two percent in May to minus 6.8 percent in March for the rest of the month.
More foreign tourists in Switzerland again
Recently, a noticeable rise in foreign visitors with overnight stays. According to the FSO, there was a 33% increase compared to the previous year, with the highest growth in January. However, the foreign demand is still 7.5% less than in the first half of 2019.
The demand for overnight stays in the Swiss hotel sector varies based on the origin of the guests, with exceptionally high demand from the Asian continent. Chinese visitors saw an increase of over 300%, South Korean visitors increased by 242%, and Indian visitors had an increase of almost 110%. The Federal Statistical Office (FSO) recorded 864,000 overnight tourist stays in Asian countries.
European visitors played a significant role in the industry's growth, contributing 5.7 million overnight stays, marking a 15% increase from the previous year. The highest increase in visitors from the old continent demonstrated British and German tourists.
Increase in 11 of 13 Swiss regions
In the first half of 2023, eleven of thirteen tourism regions saw an increase in overnight stays compared to last year. The Zurich region had the highest absolute increase of 31.7%, followed by Geneva (+26.7%), Bern (+18.8%), and the Lucerne/Lake Lucerne region (+19.4%). However, Graubünden and Ticino experienced a decline in demand.
