1. Markets & Segments
  2. Markets
  3. Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland

Visitor characteristics

  • There are about three times as many male as female business visitors while there are smaller differences between the numbers of male and female leisure visitors
  • More than three-quarters of holiday visitors are making a repeat trip to Britain (excluding British nationals)
  • Most holiday and business visitors are Swiss, but about one-third of those visiting friends or relatives are British nationals
  • 98% of departing visitors say that they are either ‘likely’ or ‘extremely’ likely to recommend Britain for a holiday or short-break

Popular activities

Visited a Pub

Visited Parks/ Gardens

Went Shopping

Global context

Measure2019
International tourism expenditure (US$bn)17.5
Global rank for international tourism expenditure22
Number of outbound visits (m)24.2
Most visited destinationFrance

Key demographic and economic data

Measure2019
Population (m)8.6
GDP per capita PPP (US$)61,153
Annual average GDP growth over past decade (%)1.8
Annual average GDP growth in the past year (%)0.9

Resources

Switzerland Market Profile (PDF 2.96MB)

visitbritain_marketprofile_switzerland.pdf

Switzerland Market Snapshot (PDF 185KB)

switzerland_fact_sheet_july_2019.pdf

Find out where visitors from Switzerland to the UK reside in their own country (Excel, 212KB, Published 2011 and 2016)

annual_states_of_residence_2018_for_web.xlsx

More resources

Read about the preferences of Europeans towards tourism (PDF, 1.65MB, Published March 2015)

2015-3 Preferences of Europeans towards tourism_27.pdf

Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.2035 CHF

As of 2 April 2020

Retrieved from the Bank of England

Inbound visits to Britain from Switzerland

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Number of visits

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Total expenditure (GBP)

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What the Swiss think about Britain

  • The cultural product or service that the Swiss most associate with Britain is museums, but they have an above average propensity to associate Britain with pop videos
  • 32% reckon that the adjective ‘exciting’ would describe a potential visit to Britain
  • More than half of Swiss associate Britain with the statement ‘has a rich and interesting history’ but both France and the USA are even more strongly associated with this attribute
  • While 38% associate Britain with the statement ‘is rich in natural scenic beauty’ leading competitors are much more strongly associated with the statement
  • Only 15% believe ‘is a relaxing destination’ is apposite for Britain and just 13% consider ‘is a romantic destination’ to be appropriate
  • Twice as many believe that the statement ‘people are welcoming’ is right for Italy than believe it to be right for Britain
  • More than one-in-four find the idea of ‘shopping in Harrods’ as appealing, and 21% associate the statement ‘shopping is good value for money’ in Britain

Caring for visitors

  • It is definitely an advantage to have important signs and information material printed in French and German and to know a few basic phrases in French and German to make Swiss visitors feel welcome
  • The Swiss are prepared to pay for good quality accommodation, but they do expect perfection
  • Cleanliness is of major importance to the Swiss, as are sustainability and environmental issues
  • The Swiss enjoy being able to consume organic food and will appreciate this being available when on holiday

 

The leisure & travel trade

  • According to the Swiss national travel agents’ association (SRV), the top ten tour operators in Switzerland probably account for 70% of the total market
  • The larger operators research their main programme between April and June, while smaller operators work to a slightly later timetable, researching between July and September
  • Major German operators are now increasingly active in Switzerland

Access to Britain from Switzerland

Measure2019
Weekly aircraft departures546
Weekly seat capacity83,839
Airports with direct routes in Switzerland4
Airports with direct routes in Britain24
  • Virtually all visits to Britain from Switzerland are made by air
  • Seat capacity is highly seasonal reflecting demand for outbound winter sports travel from Britain to Switzerland
  • Geneva and Zurich are the airports with the highest volume of capacity destined for Britain, with the bulk of seats destined for London area airports
  • The current rate of Air Passenger Duty for visitors departing Britain for Switzerland is £13

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