With the school holidays upon us and the weather finally starting to resemble summer, many people across Switzerland will be packing their bags and heading to the airport for a trip away. According to a new report from Hellosafe, the Swiss are ready to splash the cash on vacations this summer, spending over 4.000 francs on trips away.
According to the data - based on figures from IPSOS Institute for Europe Assistance and Hellosafe itself - households in Switzerland plan to spend 4.041 francs on summer holidays this year on average. This is a 21,1 percent increase compared to 2023 and 1.500 francs more than the European average. Around 68 percent of people in Switzerland plan to go on holiday this year.
Hellosafe wrote that the figures “indicate not only a higher spending capacity in Switzerland but also a faster growth in budgets… possibly reflecting a better economic situation or a higher priority given to leisure and travel among the Swiss compared to their neighbours.”
Along with likely spending the most in Europe on summer holidays, the residents of Switzerland aren’t going to rush their jollies either. The report found that the average household plans to spend 2,3 weeks on holiday this summer on average, roughly two days longer than the European average.
When it comes to where people in Switzerland visit on holiday, 55 percent said that they would be heading to the airport, train station or border and travelling abroad this summer, slightly higher than the European average (52 percent) but nowhere near Belgium at the top of the pile with a whopping 68 percent. The most popular destinations for households from Switzerland are Italy (26 percent), France (17) and Spain (16).
In what may prove a surprise, given the country’s stunning mountains, lakes, resorts and cities, only 18 percent of Swiss residents will choose to holiday in Switzerland, the lowest rate in Europe. Hellosafe explained that the main reason for the wanderlust is the country's “relatively small geographic size... and geographic location, which facilitates rapid access to foreign destinations.”
For more information about the report, check out the Hellosafe website.