Swiss Tourism: Stabilization in Sight
The Swiss tourism industry battled the strong franc in 2015. The country is very popular among locals and in China. Switzerland Tourism is now launching a special campaign to promote late winter.
Domestic guests proved to be very loyal—with just over 16 million hotel overnight stays, another record result was achieved. Switzerland is also more popular than ever in China. For the first time, the growth in hotel overnight stays from this market and from India offset the declines from Germany. Alpine tourism, however, has been particularly affected by a decline in hotel overnight stays from Europe. On Tuesday, Switzerland Tourism (ST) will present potential solutions as part of its 2016 marketing strategy and launch a special campaign to promote late winter.
Domestic guests are vacationing in Switzerland like never before: Swiss residents generated a whopping 16.05 million overnight stays (LN) in 2015, a record result «unprecedented.» And China is now the fourth-largest international market for the Swiss hotel industry, behind Germany, the U.S., and the United Kingdom, and ahead of France and Italy. Overall, however, the overnight stays statistics show a slight decline of -0.8 percent compared to the previous year (Switzerland: +0.2% / international only: -1.7%).
Europe: Turnaround Expected by the End of the Year
«Following significant declines since 2010, we expect the trend in overnight stays from Europe to stabilize by the end of 2016. A gradual turnaround in Alpine and rural tourism is beginning to take shape,» said Jürg Schmid, Director of Switzerland Tourism. The strong market presence in Europe will be maintained in the 2016 marketing strategy; Switzerland Tourism will also continue to focus on intensifying its efforts in less price-sensitive markets such as Scandinavia. The consistent focus on high-spending target groups in Europe with an affinity for Switzerland—such as nature lovers or city travelers—is intended to help support the expected stabilization of the decline in overnight stays. The decline in hotel overnight stays in mountain regions and high price sensitivity in Europe remain challenges that ST is addressing with an even more consistent focus on experiential marketing.
Foreign Markets: Accelerating Diversification
Switzerland is perceived positively in Asia as a travel destination; meetings and incentive travel to our country are associated with high prestige and offer promising prospects. ST is therefore stepping up its efforts to promote conferences and incentive travel. At the same time, the marketing organization will continue to address the growing trend toward independent travel. The goal here is to extend the length of stay for Asian guests and allow them to discover the diversity of Switzerland beyond the well-known tourist hotspots. Diversifying the product offering—such as establishing new seasons (particularly winter in China)—is another key pillar of ST’s commitment in Asia. Potential factors that could hinder growth from long-haul markets include the possible economic slowdown in Asia and fears of terrorist attacks in Europe, which could affect global travel patterns.
Swiss Winter Finale – #abindieBerge
«The start of the winter season was extremely difficult. Now the conditions are excellent. Sun, snow, and long days await guests—that’s also the message of the additional campaign »#abindieBerge,’ which is intended to help ensure a strong finish to the season well into Easter,” explains Jürg Schmid. ST is launching this campaign on Tuesday together with its partners: in March, the fun on the slopes is at its peak, the sun is higher in the sky, and prices are extremely attractive following the peak season. The campaign ad is now airing on television, on social media, and of course on Myswitzerland.com.
