Switzerland
Visitor characteristics
- There are twice as many male as female business visitors while there is little to choose between the numbers of male and female leisure visitors, a group that has a younger age-profile than do those in Britain for business
- Three-quarters of holiday visitors are making a repeat trip to Britain
- Most holiday and business visitors are Swiss, but more than one-third of those visiting friends or relatives are in fact British nationals
- Virtually all visitors live in either Zurich or Geneva
- 81% of departing visitors say that they are either ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ likely to recommend Britain for a holiday or short-break
Popular activities
Sightseeing of Famous Buildings/ Monuments
Visited Parks/ Gardens
Went Shopping
Global context
| Measure | 2015 |
|---|---|
| International tourism expenditure (US$bn) | 16.0 |
| Global rank for international tourism expenditure | 20 |
| Number of outbound visits (m) | 22.3 |
| Most visited destination | France |
Key demographic and economic data
| Measure | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Population (m) | 8.3 |
| GDP per capita (Int $) | 79,819 |
| Annual average GDP growth over past decade (%) | 1.9 |
| Annual average GDP growth in the past year (%) | 0.9 |
Inbound visits to Britain
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Sample size less than 30!
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Access to Britain from Switzerland
| Measure | 2016 |
|---|---|
| Weekly aircraft departures | 560 |
| Weekly seat capacity | 79,122 |
| Airports with direct routes in Switzerland | 4 |
| Airports with direct routes in Britain | 24 |
- Virtually all visits to Britain are made by air
- Airline seat capacity has been broadly stable over recent years but 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
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
Downloads
Switzerland market profile
Read about the preferences of Europeans towards tourism. Published March 2015
Find out where visitors from Switzerland to the UK reside in their own country. Published 2011
Exchange rate
1 GBP = 1.2309 CHF
As of 22 June 2017
Retrieved from the Bank of England
