Last minute and vacations at home: how to book Switzerland in the Corona summer

The travel and tourism sector is being severely tested by the coronavirus pandemic. However, the Swiss population's desire to travel remains unchanged. However, vacations abroad were not the top priority for many this summer. However, a representative survey by online travel agency Ebookers shows that 70 percent of respondents are spending their summer vacation in Switzerland.

The program includes hiking, cycling tours in the mountains or a refreshing dip in previously unknown mountain lakes. In many cases, beach vacations were swapped for an active vacation in Switzerland: "Interest in the mountain regions of Switzerland was significantly higher than in other years," says Claudia Parker, Head of PR at Ebookers, commenting on the development.

Last minute makes a comeback

And there has also been a turnaround in booking behavior since the spring. While last-minute bookings have tended to decline in recent years, last-minute requests are now booming again. According to an analysis by Ebookers, the majority of bookings are made three or fewer days before departure. This suggests that, on the one hand, the desire to travel remains unbroken, but on the other hand, there is also a certain amount of uncertainty regarding travel plans.

"This indicates that the summer vacations are sacrosanct for the Swiss," adds Claudia Parker. "A change of scenery is very important for many people after the lockdown. However, we are seeing that many people are holding off on booking at the moment to avoid the negative impact of restrictions."

Valais and Ticino are popular

A survey in April already showed that Switzerland is a very popular summer vacation destination in this country. This trend is continuing and is now also reflected in bookings for trips in July, August and September.

Top booking requests in July 2020 for trips in August and September 2020.