Swiss continue to rely on traditional holiday destinations

Monument Valley in the Navajo Nation, Arizona. The United States is the most popular non-European holiday destination for the Swiss Keystone / Paul Connors

The Swiss population’s love of  tradition is also reflected in travel behaviour. Swiss Bankers has determined the most popular holiday destinations of the past year based on its customers’ means of payment.

The results show that Mr and Mrs Swiss still like to stay in their own country. More than a quarter of travel spending in 2023 was made in Switzerland, the financial services provider said in a study published on Friday.

And when it comes to travelling beyond Swiss borders, the most popular destinations are its immediate neighbours. France is in first place with 7.3% of the transaction volume, followed by Germany (7.1%). Italy, the UK, Spain and the US, the first non-European destination, followed in seventh place.

Although there are still no exotic destinations in the top ten, far-flung holiday destinations appear to be gaining in popularity. Travel spending on Japan has more than doubled and Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia and Thailand have also seen strong growth.

+ Tourist spending in Switzerland returning to pre-pandemic levels

The destination for which the least money is spent and which can therefore be considered the most exotic country was Greenland in 2023. In the previous year, the island of Vanuatu still held this special “top spot”.

Shopping, hotel and flight

The Swiss spend the most money on local shopping during their holidays, followed by travel expenses for hotels, flights and mobility. Just under 7% is spent in restaurants. Mobile payments abroad are also becoming increasingly popular – this option is by far the most frequently used in the eurozone (69%), followed by the US dollar (17%).

In terms of the seasons, however, it is clear that the focus is no longer on the classic summer holidays. Although summer still leads the way with 27% of travel spending, spring and autumn are also popular travel times with 25% each and winter with 23%.

Ordering banknotes at home remains a popular service. In 2023, almost 20% more banknotes were requested for travel than in the previous year. The US dollar was ordered most frequently, closely followed by the euro.

The Swiss franc is in third place with 12%. The British pound is in fourth place with 5%, while the trend towards travelling to Japan is also reflected in orders for yen, at 4.8%.

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