After a good summer season, Swiss tourism is likely to maintain its momentum in the winter months. KOF, the economic research center of ETH Zurich, expects real mobility in its winter destinations.
According to the KOF tourism forecast published on Friday, the number of overnight stays in the winter season will increase by 16 percent compared to the previous year and reach approximately 17 million.
According to experts at the KOF economic research center at ETH Zurich, tourism demand has rebounded rapidly since February, with the gradual lifting of Covid restrictions. During the summer season, the number of overnight stays in Switzerland reached 2019 levels again: overnight stays were still 2 percent below the pre-corona level.
According to KOF, Switzerland continues to show a great desire to travel, although the trend for more holidays in their home country continues. Long-distance travelers back in many resorts, especially from the US. Record numbers of guests from France or the Netherlands also arrive in the Swiss highlands during the summer months – mainly due to the sharp rise in air travel prices.
unrestricted winter
KOF experts justify their optimism for the 2022/23 winter season by the fact that it is the first winter without serious restrictions since the outbreak of the pandemic. But they also acknowledge that the economic environment has deteriorated: strong economic growth is not expected either in the winter or next year, especially in the immediate European region. The appreciation of the Swiss franc is also likely to reduce tourism demand.
Higher electricity prices are also likely to have a dampening effect. Some ski areas have increased ticket prices by 10 percent or more because of this, Blick reports. But it hits other countries harder, according to KOF: Switzerland’s one advantage is more stable prices for overnight stays and ski tickets – at least thanks to an energy source that is less dependent on Russian raw materials than neighboring countries. , according to KOF.
In general, economists believe that the catch-up effect and increased planning certainty will override the effects of the economic downturn. Above all, the trend to take more vacations in one’s home country, which has been firmly entrenched since the corona crisis, should continue to have a positive impact on tourism. Accordingly, more Swiss guests can be expected in the winter season than in the past. (SDA/smt)
Source :Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
