No flight shame: Swiss passengers travel the longest and the most expensive in the summer

The time has come: in most Swiss cantons, the summer holidays start in early or mid-July. From a tourism industry perspective, it is clear that these must take place for the first time without any corona side effect after the industry was overwhelmed by the sudden influx of passengers last summer. The result was long queues, lost luggage and suitcase chaos.

Not this year. The travel restrictions caused by the pandemic are a thing of the past almost everywhere. And the pent-up travel fever is great. 76 percent of the Swiss have concrete holiday plans and want to travel at least once in the summer. In 2019, the year before the pandemic, it was 62 percent. This is the conclusion of a representative survey by Europ Assistance, a subsidiary of insurance company Generali. The survey of a total of 15,000 people in 15 countries, 11 of which were European, took place between mid-March and early April. CH Media has exclusive access to the results for Switzerland.

Less than a quarter of all participants indicate that they spend the warm months in Germany. In other words: foreign beckons. Nearby destinations such as Italy (27 percent), France (16 percent) and Spain (12 percent) are very popular. According to a current evaluation by the booking platform Booking, the following cities are particularly popular with local holidaymakers in July and August:

Local customers also pay a little more for the journey or flight far away: before the Germans and Austrians, travelers from Switzerland have the highest holiday budget per household at CHF 3,443 – an increase of 25 percent compared to the previous year. According to the study by Europ Assistance, the European average is 1885 francs.

According to the survey, people from Europe still prefer to go on holiday with their own car. But the plane has become popular as an alternative. In Switzerland in particular, the plane is the preferred means of transport, followed by the private car. So the flight shame debate seems to take a back seat to many people when booking their own holiday plans.

In the meantime, the so-called workation seems to be making its appearance: 34 percent indicate that they will not only sit by the pool or go sightseeing in the holiday resort, but also go to work. In addition to snorkels and goggles, many travelers also pack their laptops and headsets to stay virtually connected to the office – despite any cyber risks. According to the research, many people see this as an opportunity to extend their holiday by arriving at their holiday destination a few days earlier or departing a little later.

However, many holidaymakers risk paying more than expected for their time away from home – on top of the inflation shock. Because in April almost two out of three people had not yet booked their summer holiday. And given the capacity constraints of the airlines, some of which have already raised their prices significantly, short-term bookings are likely to be more expensive.

The car rental company Sunny Cars recently warned against short-term bookings. Rental car prices are still 22 percent cheaper than in 2022, when there was a major shortage. However, they are on a high level. And even though the providers have expanded their fleet in the meantime, in July and August there is still the possibility that you will no longer be able to reserve the car of your choice.

Only recently Dieter Zümpel, head of Kuoni’s parent company Der Touristik Schweiz, who resigned in early June, pointed out that price increases could be as high as 20 percent depending on the destination (CH Media reported). At the same time, he stressed that the increased spending – whether on flights, accommodation or vehicles – is partly intentional. Some travelers would choose better hotels or higher booking classes on the plane this year.

According to Kuoni, long-haul flights in particular became more expensive, especially to Asian countries, but also to the Caribbean and the US. Hotel prices have also risen sharply in the United States. On the other hand, according to Zümpel, trips to the Mediterranean are hardly more expensive at Kuoni because the group bought hotel beds at fixed prices at an early stage. As a result, prices from travel agencies are now often even cheaper than offers on websites where customers book individually. According to Zümpel, destinations such as Egypt and Turkey will also remain cheap. The reason for this is the absence of many Russian guests. (aargauerzeitung.ch)