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After the pandemic, travelers from the USA are living out their pent-up desire to travel. The Swiss tourism industry is also feeling this.
The Lindner family traveled from near Chicago to Switzerland for the Christmas holidays. The four spend twelve days together in Andermatt. Like many other compatriots, she was attracted to Switzerland as a travel destination. “We want to go on a big adventure,” says father John. American tourists are looking for adventure vacations like those that can be had in Switzerland. In addition, in Switzerland you can combine skiing with other activities such as sightseeing or attending concerts, adds mother Catherine.
We want to go on a big adventure.
The Lindners are part of many American tourists who went abroad for vacation this year. During Corona, people in the USA have built up a desire to travel. They were also able to put money aside. Now they are trying to continue to make up for what was not possible during the two years of the pandemic.
Record value expected
A particularly large number of Americans traveled to Europe this year and also to Switzerland. Between January and October there were almost 2.7 million hotel overnight stays by guests from the USA, as figures from the Federal Statistical Office (BFS) show. That is already 21.8 percent more than in the same period in 2019 last year before the pandemic.
Switzerland Tourism expects around 3 million hotel overnight stays for the whole of 2023. That would be a high in almost 40 years. The BFS publishes the official figures at the end of February.
The role of inflation
The timing of the great interest in Switzerland from travelers from the USA is surprising. The US dollar has depreciated compared to the Swiss franc in recent months. This is actually unfavorable for tourists from the USA.
“Traveling to Switzerland has become more expensive due to the exchange rate,” says tourism expert Jürg Stettler. The professor from the University of Lucerne also draws attention to an opposite effect in inflation. Inflation in Switzerland is lower than in the USA or neighboring European countries. “As a result, traveling in the USA has become significantly more expensive, but less so in Switzerland.”
Yes, the exchange rate doesn’t look great, it’s going to be expensive – but skiing in the USA isn’t cheap either.
The Lindner family also looked at the exchange rate before their vacation in Andermatt. “We thought: Yes, the exchange rate doesn’t look great, it’s going to be expensive – but skiing isn’t cheap in the USA either,” explains John Lindner. The prices for ski rental, food and accommodation are comparable to prices in the USA, agrees Catherine Lindner.
Legend: Queuing at the ski lift in Andermatt – more and more US tourists are doing that too. Keystone/URS FLUEELER
When asked about the expensive flight costs, the Lindner family says they come from Chicago and whether they fly to Colorado or Switzerland to ski doesn’t play a big role in terms of price. And: “If you want to go on a big, exciting trip, you just have to do it.”
The trend is likely to last longer if the economic situation develops in a solid and stable manner.
The economic situation is also important for people in the USA’s desire to travel. “Unemployment is low, stock market prices have developed well and consumer sentiment is good,” summarizes Stettler. This supports Americans’ desire to travel. “The trend is likely to last longer if the economic situation develops in a solid and stable manner.”
The Lindner family definitely wants to return to Switzerland. She wants to see Switzerland in the summer, says mother Catherine Lindner. “Then it’s definitely nice here too!”