In Switzerland, the hotel sector recorded 14.6 million overnight stays during the winter tourist season (November 2021 to April 2022). Compared to the same period of the previous year, the volume increased by 54.0% (+5.1 million overnight stays). The demand from foreign guests shows a progression of 196.7% (+3.7 million), recording a total of 5.6 million overnight stays. For its part, indigenous demand grew by 18.9% (+1.4 million), reaching 9.0 million overnight stays. This is what emerges from the provisional results of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).
Compared to the same months of the previous year, the demand was strongly positive during the entire winter tourist season. The increases in fact vary from 24.8% (April 2022) to 94.8% (November 2021). Compared to the 2019/2020 winter season, overnight stays marked an increase of 14.1%.
Demand from foreign guests picking up
After the sharp decline recorded for the 2020/2021 winter season (-70.4%; -4.5 million overnight stays), the demand for foreign guests has started to rise again, recording significant increases throughout the 2021/2022 winter season. With a total of 5.6 million overnight stays between November 2021 and April 2022, demand grew by 196.7% (+3.7 million) compared to the same period of the previous year. The strongest absolute increases were observed between February and April. However, despite this strong growth, overnight stays in the 2021/2022 winter season remain 12.2% lower than in the 2019/2020 season. With an increase of 2.5 million units (+ 147.3%) recorded during the winter season 2021/2022, guests from the European continent strongly contribute to this progression. Among all foreign countries, with 789,000 additional overnight stays, Germany recorded the highest absolute increase (+ 135.0%). The United Kingdom (+450,000; + 729.3%) and France (+237,000; + 75.8%) follow. It should also be noted that the demand from guests from the American continent (+616,000; + 866.3%) and from Asia (+475,000; + 744.6%) has also started to grow.
Record of indigenous overnight stays
Swiss demand recorded a new record of overnight stays during the 2021/2022 winter season. With a total of 9.0 million overnight stays, this demand increased by 18.9% (+1.4 million units) compared to the same period of the previous year. There was a growth in demand for all months except April, which showed a 10.5% decline. Compared to the 2019/2020 winter tourist season, demand increased by 39.9%.
Increasing demand in all tourist regions
At the level of tourist regions, in the winter season 2021/2022 all regions recorded an increase in overnight stays compared to the same period of the previous year. Demand is also growing in mountain regions; overnight stays in the Bern region increased by 47.3%, those in Valais by 41.1% and those in Graubünden by 31.6%. Strong increases in overnight stays have been recorded in urban regions; the most marked were found in Geneva (+ 189.2%), the Zurich region (+ 152.0%) and in the Basel region (+ 112.0%). Interestingly, these are the regions that have suffered the most from the consequences of national and international restrictions due to COVID-19. Compared to the 2019/2020 winter tourist season, overnight stays in mountain regions recorded increases of 24.0% (Valais), 23.6% (Graubünden) and 15.3% (Berne region). Urban regions, on the other hand, recorded a decline of between 7.6% (Basel region) and 6.1% (Zurich region).
During the winter season 2021/2022, increases in indigenous overnight stays were recorded in mountain regions of 11.5% in the Bern Region, 11.4% in Valais and 11.1% in Graubünden. The largest increases were recorded in urban regions. However, it should be emphasized that Ticino has witnessed a decrease of 15.5% in demand, which however remains 172.6% higher than in the same period two years earlier. Compared to the 2019/2020 winter season, all tourist regions recorded an increase in indigenous clientele. Finally, the demand for foreign guests has grown in all tourist regions compared to the same period of the previous year, while remaining 12.2% lower than that of the 2019/2020 winter season.
