Swiss Christmas markets on a strong expansion course
Whether it’s mulled wine, raclette, or arts and crafts, Swiss Christmas markets draw visitors in droves with their offerings during the Advent season. They’re also playing an increasingly important role in tourism. Yet, according to marketing experts, the markets lack offerings tailored to young people.
There are now a whole host of Christmas markets in the city of Zurich, for example at Bellevue, in the Old Town, at the main railway station, at Werdmühleplatz and in the city center between the Jelmoli and Globus department stores. The Sihlcity shopping center also has a fondue chalet and market stalls on the forecourt. While the oldest market in the city is the one in the Old Town, the Christmas market at the main railway station is best known to commuters from outside the city.
Year after year, it displays a 15-metre-high Christmas tree decorated with 7,000 Swarovski crystals. The guests come not only from Switzerland itself, but also from neighboring countries. "Previously almost ignored, we are increasingly promoting our Christmas markets in those markets in which we are active," Ueli Heer, media spokesperson for Zürich Tourism, told the news agency AWP. Thanks to the Christmas markets in December, Zurich is extremely popular with Italians in particular. Heer points to the increase in overnight stays in Zurich in December as an indication of the popularity of the markets among foreign guests.
"While we counted 292,089 overnight stays for the Zurich sub-region in 2013, this figure had already risen to 377,246 in December 2017 - an increase of almost 30 percent," the spokesperson explained.
Basel wants to break the million barrier
The importance of Christmas markets is also steadily increasing in Basel, as Christoph Bosshardt, Head of Marketing at Basel Tourism, told AWP. "According to a survey last year, we reach 800,000 to 900,000 visitors each year," he explained. However, the aim is to break the million mark soon. In terms of size, the market has now grown to 186 stands. Bosshardt is particularly pleased that the number of out-of-town visitors to the Christmas market in Basel - which is held on Münsterplatz and Barfüsserplatz - is also increasing. "Just a few years ago, December was one of the weakest months of the year in terms of tourism, but that has changed significantly thanks to the Christmas market," he explained. As in Zurich, the Basel Christmas market is very popular with Italians. "Thanks to the good flight connections with Easyjet, Vueling and Iberia to Basel, many Spaniards also visit us," added Bosshardt.
And finally, guests from North America are increasingly coming to the Rhine knee as part of European tours. In Bern, meanwhile, an additional Christmas market has been added this year with the Sternenmarkt. "The market operators say they are very satisfied with the number of visitors and the trend is upwards," said Sabrina Jörg, Head of Events Bern Welcome, to AWP. Growth in French-speaking Switzerland too However, the importance of Christmas markets is not only increasing in German-speaking Switzerland, but also in French-speaking Switzerland. In Montreux, where the largest market in French-speaking Switzerland takes place, the event attracted 530,000 visitors in 2017, a figure that has doubled in ten years.
The enthusiasm is similar in Lausanne, where 350,000 people visited the event last year - 75 percent more than three years ago. The increase is partly due to the increase in the size of the market from 50 to 80 stalls, as Florian Schmied, Director of the Lausanne Christmas Market, told the news agency AWP. According to a survey by the Institute of Tourism at the University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland in Valais, visitors to the Montreux Christmas market spend an average of 66 francs at the market. "People mainly come for the atmosphere, only 15 percent are there to shop," said the author of the study, Miriam Scaglione.
Lack of innovative concepts
According to marketing experts, however, this is hardly surprising. "Many Christmas markets are very traditional, offering little other than raclette and mulled wine," explains independent marketing strategy consultant Cary Steinmann. Although the countless fairy lights create a cozy shopping atmosphere, especially for older visitors or families with small children, the markets lack the right offer for the younger audience. "Christmas markets actually offer the ideal opportunity for hip brands to present themselves to a wide audience in pop-up style," added Steinmann.
Ultimately, the same also applies to traditional department stores. According to Steinmann, stores such as Jelmoli, Globus or Manor could use the markets as an opportunity to present their own brand. "There is a lot of untapped potential here that could at least partially lure customers back from the internet to the stores," says Steinmann. As the pre-Christmas events and Christmas markets are an incentive for a shopping spree, people are more likely to buy their Christmas presents in bricks-and-mortar stores rather than online. (SDA)
