Switzerland’s Tourism Director praises “an absolute record year”: more and more guests are coming from one country in particular

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The year 2023, which is coming to an end, will be a “complete record year” even though there will be only a 1 percent increase in mountain holiday reservations compared to the previous year. Martin Nydegger (53), director of the marketing organization Switzerland Tourism, said: “For the first time in the history of Swiss tourism, we can count more than 40 million hotel nights in a year!” ” he says in an interview with “Weekend Switzerland”. Although official figures are only available in February, we can already say this.

What makes the tourism boss so optimistic? This is unlikely to happen because of the beautiful snow in the Swiss mountains. Or is it because of the upcoming holiday? “This definitely has to do with us getting through the Corona phase together. Durability is the strength of the industry.” Nydegger says that they are also insistent on marketing and give themselves a pat on the back. “We never closed offices and we never reduced campaigns to zero.”

Swiss franc’s strength does not harm image

The reason Switzerland is better than ever is also because of the “tremendous growth” in the number of American guests in Switzerland. They make up the second largest guest group after Germans, and the gap between Americans and Germans is narrowing. Nydegger: “Americans have the purchasing power, they live in an expensive country, so Swiss prices are not too high for them.” In Switzerland, quality suits the guests, and this cannot always be said for America.

Strong Frank is not a big problem among foreign tourists at the moment. According to the Swiss marketer, this is also due to much higher inflation figures in the UK and other European countries. But be careful: those with less purchasing power, such as the Germans, will quickly start saving money during their holidays.

Another factor in the record-breaking trend of Swiss tourism is the country’s image. “From a tourism perspective, it continues to be excellent,” Nydegger says. Switzerland continues to be perceived as safe and reliable as a travel destination. (euro)

Source :Blick