Swiss Hotel Stays Grew Steadily in 2025, with Stagnation Expected in 2026

Recently, Switzerland Tourism announced key data on the country’s tourism industry in 2025 at a press conference held in Zurich. The data revealed that the number of hotel stays in the country achieved steady growth last year, a rise mainly driven by a significant increase in the number of domestic tourists and American visitors; at the same time, Switzerland Tourism clearly stated that it expects the country’s tourism industry to remain stagnant in 2026.

According to information released at the press conference, the total number of tourist stays in Switzerland in 2025 reached 43.9 million room nights, a year-on-year increase of 2.6% compared with 2024, demonstrating a steady development momentum. In terms of source market structure, the domestic market has become an important pillar supporting the growth in stays, accounting for 48% of the total number of stays — a proportion 1.4 percentage points higher than the previous year, highlighting the strong demand for travel among Swiss residents.

In terms of international tourists, European visitors remain an important source of tourism in Switzerland. In 2025, they contributed a total of 12.7 million room nights, a year-on-year increase of 3.9%, maintaining a steady growth trend. Among overseas visitors, American tourists performed particularly prominently, with 3.6 million room nights throughout the year, a year-on-year increase of 5.4%, becoming the core driver of growth in overseas tourist stays — a trend consistent with the strong global demand for cross-border travel.

Regarding the prospects for Switzerland’s tourism industry in 2026, Switzerland Tourism has made a clear forecast, stating that the industry is expected to remain stagnant. Industry analysts believe that this forecast may be related to the global macroeconomic environment, changes in tourism market demand, and the impact of climate change on some tourism scenarios in Switzerland. Although there are still supporting factors for Switzerland’s tourism industry at present, the superposition of various uncertainties makes it difficult for the industry to achieve further growth.

It is understood that Switzerland Tourism has continuously carried out diversified promotion activities in recent years to enhance tourism appeal. Even in the face of the stagnation forecast for 2026, it is still actively optimising tourism products and services, catering to the needs of different source groups, and striving to maintain the stable development of the industry. Currently, all parties in the market are closely monitoring the subsequent trends of Switzerland’s tourism industry and the implementation of relevant response measures.