Bed & Breakfast Accommodations: Significant Growth in Switzerland
Bed & Breakfast Accommodations: Significant Growth in Switzerland
VILLARS-SUR-GLANE, Switzerland, May 7, 2012-
After the remarkable increase already observed in 2010, it reached 9.5% in 2011.
Within the tourism sector, which presently experiences some difficulties, private
accommodations seem to meet exactly the customers’ requirements.
Private accommodations in Switzerland experienced a spectacular success in 2011. In
fact, the number of registered overnight stays among the accommodations investigated by
the organisation Bed and Breakfast Switzerland increased by 9.5%[1] compared to the year
2010, when growth reached 9.3%. These results exceed by far all expectations in a tourism
sector presently confronted with some difficulties caused by the strong Swiss franc.
This excellent performance is mainly due to the increasing number of Swiss visitors as
well as guests from Germany and France. More and more travellers prefer to spend leisure
time and relax in a welcoming family environment, not too far from home, than travelling
to long range destinations. The Bed & Breakfast (BnB) accommodation system seems to be
particularly suitable and appreciated.
In total, 404,598 overnight stays have been reported among the 912 investigated
accommodations. Visitors from Switzerland stay by far the most represented, with 46.8% of
the total. Following are citizens from Germany (20%) and France (6.2%), from the United
Kingdom (3%), the Netherlands and the United States (2.7% each), Italy (2.6%), Belgium
(1.8%), Austria (1.4%) and Spain (1.1%). The investigated accommodations report a strong
increase of Swiss (+11.6%) and Finnish guests (+118.2%), although the latter represent
only 0.5% of the overnight stays in 2011. On the other hand, the number of visitors coming
from Australia, New Zealand and Oceania (0.6% of the total) shows a strong decline
(-24.2%). Visitors from Europe (Switzerland excepted), represent 44.4% of the overnight
stays, while 4.2% come from the Americas, 3.5% from Asia, 0.6% from Oceania and 0.4% from
Africa.
Very short stays for the Swiss
Among all investigated accommodations the average duration of stay was 2.4 days.
Guests from Portugal lead again with an average duration of stay of 6.4 days. Followed on
this top position by the Poles (5.6 days), the Finns (5 days), Hungarians (4.2 days),
Czechs (3.3 days), Austrians and Britons (3.2 days each), and the Germans (3 days). Swiss
visitors, for their part, make the shortest visits with an average duration of stay of
only 2 days
The canton of Valais is the most represented region, leading with 836 beds offered.
The region around Lake Geneva is is placed second with 632 beds. Followed by the Bernese
Oberland (618), eastern Switzerland (558), central Switzerland around Lucerne and Lake
Lucerne (471), Zurich and surroundings (449), Ticino (428), the Grisons (385), the regions
of Berne (327) and Basel (310), the Jura region and the three lakes (252), Fribourg and
surroundings (217), and finally Geneva (46).
Regarding the geographical distribution of the overnight stays, the Bernese Oberland
is leading with 14.2%. Followed tightly by the canton of Valais and the region around Lake
Geneva (Vaud) hosting 13.7% and 12.7% of the visitors. Next come the regions of Zurich and
Lucerne as well as the area around Lake Lucerne (9.5% each), eastern Switzerland (8.7%),
Ticino (7.3%), the region of Berne (6.2%), the Grisons (5.7%), Basel and sourroundings
(4.5%), the Jura region and the three lakes (4%), Fribourg (3.2%), and Geneva (0.8%). This
year again, the canton of Geneva shows the longest duration of stay with an average of 4.7
days.
[1]This figure is based on the direct comparison of the yearly results reported by 824
of 912 investigated accommodations in Switzerland in 2011.
For further information:
Contact:
Bed and Breakfast Switzerland
1752 Villars-sur-Glane
Laurent TABIN, +41-79-627-95-49, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Dorette PROVOOST, +41-79-356-39-78, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Nicole NEYROUD, +41-79-364-58-91, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Source: Bed and Breakfast Switzerland