Where do people in Switzerland go on holiday?
By Jan de Boer
A new survey by Generali, a Swiss insurance provider, has revealed the top holiday destinations for people from Switzerland. After the end of COVID travel restrictions, and with the summer holidays fast approaching, 71 percent of Swiss residents have said they want to travel abroad in 2022.
Explosion in demand for travel abroad in Switzerland
The end of COVID restrictions has led to a significant increase in demand for foreign travel. This phenomenon has spread across the world and has led to increased prices and disruption at airports, for example with SWISS recently having to cancel a number of flights due to high demand and a shortage of workers.
The latest figures by Generali found that 71 percent of people in Switzerland are hoping to travel abroad this summer, up from 56 percent last year. There has also been a decline in the number of people looking to take a “staycation,” with 15 percent fewer people planning to holiday in Swiss cantons.
Top holiday destinations abroad for people in Switzerland
Like in 2021, Italy is the most popular holiday destination for people in Switzerland in 2022. However, the popularity of our southern neighbour has declined since last year, mainly because travel restrictions have been lifted on other destinations like the US and Thailand.
According to the survey, these are the most popular holiday destinations for people in Switzerland in 2022:
- Italy (29 percent)
- France (18 percent)
- Spain (16 percent)
- Germany (11 percent)
- Portugal (9 percent)
- Greece (9 percent)
- US (6 percent)
- Turkey (4 percent)
- Egypt (3 percent)
- Thailand (3 percent)
- Austria (3 percent)
Most popular holiday destinations in Switzerland revealed
Despite the increase in demand for holidays abroad, many residents are still choosing to stay and sample Switzerland’s mountains, rivers, lakes and historical sites on their days off. Tourists from all over the world are also expected to descend on the alpine nation in the coming months, so it certainly won’t be quiet in the country's top destinations.
For people in Switzerland, Canton Ticino remains the most popular region for holidays, followed by the eastern cantons. The least popular location is the area around Basel and Zurich, with only 6 percent of respondents hoping to spend their summer in and around the Swiss cities.
According to Generali, the top destinations within Switzerland are:
- Canton Ticino (34 percent)
- Eastern Switzerland (17 percent)
- Lake Geneva region (15 percent)
- Central Switzerland (13 percent)
- Fribourg and Neuchâtel (8 percent)
- Zurich (4 percent)
- Northwestern Switzerland (2 percent)
For more information on methodology, check out the Generali website.
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Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016.
While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more