Jugis, campsites, apartments to rent: Swiss para-hotel industry at its peak

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Swiss youth hostels are expecting a record year. Other members of the Parahotellerie Schweiz interest group (Reka, Interhome, TCS Camping and BnB Switzerland) also experienced a real boom in the 2023 summer season. This is being announced by the umbrella association of holiday apartment landlords and youth hostel operators.

There was a pleasing increase in both the number of accommodations and sales in almost every region. According to a survey by IG Parahotellerie, the somewhat significant decline in the number of Swiss guests has been more than offset by the return of foreign visitors.

Foreign guests returned

Holiday home broker Interhome, for example, saw a 25 percent drop in the number of Swiss guests. However, this was compensated by a strong increase in guests from the United States (+50 percent) as well as from Great Britain, France and the Far East. There are also large differences between reserved areas of the country. While a 25 percent increase was recorded in the Bern Oberland, there was a 25 percent decrease in Ticino, minus 8 percent in Grisons and minus 5 percent in Vaud. Despite this, Interhome achieved a sales increase of 3.8 percent. It’s at a record level.

More people stayed overnight in the beds of the bed and breakfast provider BnB Switzerland or in the resorts of the travel fund (Reka) than in the previous year. Reka noticed a trend towards shorter stays and overall, Reka finished the summer season with a 6 percent sales increase.

The explosion started by the corona epidemic in camping areas does not seem to subside yet. TCS Camping achieved the second best value in history by increasing the number of guests by more than 6 percent compared to the previous year.

The growth rates of Swiss youth hostels show that they are able to achieve higher prices. While the number of overnight stays increased by only 1.5 percent, sales increased by 6.6 percent. Demand was particularly strong from school children and guests from Asia. “Due to rising costs, a price increase at the end of 2022 was inevitable as part of our dynamic pricing system,” says CEO Janine Bunte.

Confidence for the winter season

The majority of IG Parahotellerie are optimistic about the coming winter. The umbrella organization writes that the signs that the 2023/24 winter season will be successful are extremely positive. As always, much depends on the snow situation as the trend towards shorter-term bookings continues.

For example, in Reka, winter season reservations increased the most in March; The weakest month in terms of booking levels compared to the previous year is December, particularly the week before Christmas. Overall, the booking situation at Reka is stable compared to the previous year.

There are many more pre-orders in Swiss youth dormitories, especially for January. Interhome is feeling a surge in demand, but bookings are still slightly below the record year 2022 level. (SDA/rae)

Source :Blick