Practically everything is getting more expensive in Switzerland. More and more people are having to tighten their belts. But there’s one thing almost no one wants to do without: ski vacations. The Center for Economic Research (KOF) at ETH Zurich forecasts record-breaking winter jobs.
The guarantee of success should be domestic tourists. For ski destinations, the forecast should look like an early Christmas present. Because KOF even expects that the number of overnight stays will be higher than before the Corona pandemic!
“Costs are exploding”
If Ernst Wyrsch (61) finds his way, it will be too early to chill the champagne at the ski resorts. The President of Hotelleriesuisse Graubünden believes sales growth of 5 to 9 percent is realistic.
But he puts it into perspective: “Employee salaries and electricity costs are exploding. This additional income will eat away at many hotels. That’s why I don’t share the assessment that a sensational season is just around the corner.” Few establishments can fully pass on the increased costs to their guests.
The personnel situation in particular gives Wyrsch a headache: “We are having a real struggle for the employees. Companies offer better prices than each other on wages.” He estimates labor costs will increase by an average of 5 to 7 percent.
The lack of staff means that catering businesses at ski resorts need to shorten their opening times, as they did last winter.
Guests stay less
The hotel industry in Valais and the Bernese Oberland also expects well-padded beds on demand, but is grappling with similar problems to those in Graubünden. “We expect a very good occupancy rate, but at the same time we noticed that guests still book on short notice,” says Annette Stoffel (50), Managing Director of Hotelleriesuisse Berner Oberland.
Another trend: guests would stay less. It’s a result of the fact that households need to pay more attention to the budget.
What’s next for Covid?
Too many hoteliers do not share positive forecasts. Too many things are uncertain: what happens next with Covid? What about inflation? What happens if the franc regains value against the euro? “I doubt the KOF prediction will actually come true,” says Markus Schmid, 66, committee member of the Valais Hotels Association. In Mörel-Filet VS he runs Hotel Salina Maris. “Many companies are likely to be worse off financially during the winter than before the pandemic, even with high capacity utilization.”