A survey by the industry association Hotelleriesuisse showed that seven out of ten Swiss hotels expect a decrease in demand for accommodation abroad in the summer season due to the war in Ukraine. Almost half of the hotels also expect a decline in the number of guests from Europe.
According to the association, exchange rates have changed, the overall economic situation has worsened, and fewer guests have traveled to Switzerland from Ukraine and Russia, countries hit by war and sanctions. Another negative factor is that many Americans and Asians do not want to go to Europe because of the war in Ukraine.
Against this background, it is striking that more than half of Swiss hotels have increased their prices compared to the previous year. The proportion of establishments with price increases is the same in all tourist areas – be it cities or mountain villages – despite the different development of demand. Thus, even hotels in cities where there is a decline in demand have increased prices.
More than half of hoteliers cite rising energy and food prices as the reason for the price increase. However: In general, Swiss hotels expect bed occupancy to be higher than in 2021 and 2020.
At the same time, more tourists are expected from important source markets such as the USA, France, and Germany. However, pre-pandemic levels are unlikely to be reached, according to the survey.