Switzerland – 10.1% more Visitors from U.S.

Media Release
New York, San Francisco – February 26, 2019

Switzerland has reached new peaks in popularity in the United States. According to tourism data from the Swiss Federal Office of Statistics, U.S. visits increased again in 2018 compared to the previous year, for the second consecutive year in double digits. The recent trend continues: since 2009, visitor numbers from the U.S. to Switzerland grew by over 60%.

Final 2018 figures show an increase of 10% in U.S. arrivals in Switzerland in 2018, for a total of 1,055,000. The number of overnight stays was 2.25 million, an increase of 10.1% compared to 2017*.

“We’re thrilled about the latest increase in the number of American travelers in Switzerland, which beat our already high expectations. More than ever, visitors from the U.S. are looking for the pristine nature, breathtaking panoramas, varied cities, and convenient transportation system Switzerland has to offer,” says Alex Herrmann, Director Americas of Switzerland Tourism. “Also, our research shows Americans are enjoying the benefits of the strong U.S. dollar in Switzerland and treat themselves to a more luxurious hotel category and spend more freely on activities, meals, and shopping.”
The most popular destinations were the Zurich Region, the Lake Lucerne Region and the Geneva Region. Americans are also (re-)discovering the Swiss Alps as a travel and vacation destination: growth from the U.S. was about twice as high in the mountain areas as in the cities in 2018. They especially love the Bernese Oberland, which saw the biggest increase in U.S. visits.

Two-thirds of all visitors from the U.S. travel to Switzerland during the summer months.
Switzerland Tourism’s summer campaign theme in 2019 is “Back to Nature”, which highlights the incredible hiking, walking and climbing opportunities in the Swiss Alps and along its beautiful lakes. Thanks to more than 40,000 miles of well-marked trails, virtually every corner of Switzerland is waiting to be discovered on foot, with experiences for every fitness level.

* Source: Tourism data from the Swiss Federal Office of Statistics. Only overnights in Swiss
hotels and Youth Hostels are counted; vacation homes, other kinds of accommodation and visits with friends and family are not included.

Questions? Please Alex Herrmann, Director Americas, at alex.herrmann@switzerland.com or visit www.myswitzerland.com

Image: The mountain areas saw the biggest growth from the U.S. in 2018, such as the Bernese Oberland. (Credit: Switzerland Tourism)

About Switzerland Tourism
Switzerland Tourism is the official National Tourist Office of Switzerland with representations in 30 countries around the world with the goal of promoting Switzerland as a travel, vacation and convention destination. In North America,