Switzerland remains top vacation spot for Swiss tourists

Swiss tourists who want relaxation, adventure or simply seek new surroundings to take their minds off work, mostly decide to stay at home during their vacation rather than travel abroad.

Swiss tourists who want relaxation, adventure or simply seek new surroundings to take their minds off work, mostly decide to stay at home during their vacation rather than travel abroad.

As in the past few years, Swiss hotels, chalets and resorts remained the prime vacation spots and destinations, according to new data released by the federal authorities on Tuesday.

Domestic tourist offices registered 5.5 million overnight stays in 1998 – a figure well above that of second-positioned France, where 4.2 million Swiss travelled that year.

Apart from France, Swiss tourists increasingly headed for Germany, Italy, Brazil and the Netherlands, while Spain dropped a few places in the popularity list.

As expected, Egypt was no longer a prime destination for the Swiss, who clearly remember the horrific attack at Luxor, where dozens of tourists were massacred in 1997.

The Swiss authorities have also noted a clear trend toward more exotic destinations due to lower air fares. Brazil, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Thailand were the prime tourist regions for Swiss profiting from bargain offers.

From staff and wire reports.