Swiss hotels welcomed more guests in May 2022. According to the first estimate of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), the number of overnight stays rose by around 38 per cent compared to the same month last year.
The recovery from the slump caused by the Corona crisis thus continues unabated. Overnight stays had already risen in January (+71.3 per cent), February (+41.1 per cent), March (+60.4 per cent) and April (+24.8 per cent). After a slight slowdown in April, overnight stays have picked up again significantly.
Tourists from other countries, in particular, were increasingly attracted to Switzerland. The number of foreign guests increased three and a half times (+263 per cent) compared to the previous year. On the other hand, there were slightly fewer overnight stays by domestic tourists, with a drop of almost 10 per cent.
According to a recent survey – the Switzerland Tourism survey – during the summer season, tourism stakeholders expect a 14% growth in overnight stays and 23% in attendance. During the Easter, Ascension and Pentecost holidays, overnight stays (+25%), like attendance (+35%) increased sharply, according to data collected by Switzerland Tourism via a survey.
The domestic clientele will remain crucial for Swiss hotels this summer, even though foreign tourists are gradually returning. In addition to European tourists, travelers from North America, Brazil, the Gulf countries and partly from India and Southeast Asia will again be more numerous than last summer. The absence of tourists from China, still due to the pandemic, nevertheless worries many service providers.