Overseas tourist numbers picked up during the summer

Swiss hotels saw an increase of 80% more tourists from other countries during the summer months compared with the same period in 2020 when Switzerland was in lockdown.

Between the start of May and the end of October, overnight stays at hotels increased by more than a third, reaching 18.2 million. The increase was particularly significant in May and June because Switzerland had closed its borders to many countries during these months last year.

Overnight stays recorded by overseas tourists rose 78.8% this summer with numbers picking up considerably from Asia and the United States.

Domestic tourism, which had risen considerably last year, continued to see an upward trend, with 21% extra bookings at hotels by Swiss residents.

The uptick in numbers was felt particularly in big cities such as Geneva, Basel and Zurich.

But hotels continue to have a hard time compared to the pre-pandemic era. Overnight stays during the summer were down by nearly a fifth from 2019, with overseas guests recording 57% fewer bookings.

“Guests from Asia recorded a drop in overnight stays of 85.4%, those from America of 74.0% and visitors from Europe of 32.5%,” read a statement from the Federal Statistical Office on Monday.

Hotels are still not out of the woods as the pandemic reaches yet another wave of increased infections, combined with the arrival of the Omicron Covid variant.

Many hotels have reported a spate of cancellations as Omicron stirs up yet more uncertainty and worry.

The Swiss tourism sector is expected to take decade to recover from the pandemic.