Media release | 4 September 2023 Switzerland Travel Centre reports record sales

The largest and official tour operator for holidays in Switzerland is recording very high demand in the current year. Last year's total turnover of 82 million Swiss francs was already equalled in the current business year in mid-July. Currently, as of the end of August, the Switzerland experts are recording sales of around 95 million Swiss francs - this corresponds to the total sales of the record year 2019. With a newly envisaged sales target of well over 100 million Swiss francs for the current financial year, another record year is on the horizon. 

Michael Maeder, CEO of the Switzerland Travel Centre since 2012, is very pleased about the great demand, but even more so about the performance of his employees: "After the pandemic, we hired very quickly, very many new employees at all our locations in times of a shortage of skilled staff. Almost half of our colleagues are new to us. To see how they sell holidays to Switzerland with passion, joy and success is very impressive". 

A great desire to travel is noticeable among guests from the USA and Canada. Visitors from North America have booked their holidays in Switzerland very early this year. As before the pandemic, round trips to Switzerland by train, bus, and boat in the Swiss Alps are very popular. 

Guests from Great Britain are also highly motivated to travel. As always, the British like to travel to Switzerland by train. This is often used, especially for group travel, for the journey to and from the home island. The Bernese Oberland, the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland and the Lake Geneva region remain popular.  

Our neighbours from Germany remained loyal to Switzerland even during the pandemic. In the current year, the desire for a holiday in Switzerland has once again increased noticeably. Round trips, sometimes to less frequently travelled of Switzerland, are popular. People travel individually by train or car, but also like to travel in groups by coach and mountain railways. 

Even though the door to the world is open again for the Swiss themselves, they still like to spend their holidays at home. This is often in addition to a beach holiday abroad. Accordingly, 3 - 5-day round trips by public transport are popular, as are extended weekends in attractive city or mountain hotels. 

Booking requests from Asia often came at very short notice. Accordingly, the popular Swiss tourist destinations and panorama trains were already very well or fully booked at the time. With the exception of China, demand from Asia increased very strongly and pleasingly over the course of the year and is positive for the future.