Summary

In 2025, tourism spending in Switzerland and abroad continued to rise, but with weaker growth than in previous years. The Swiss resident population spent 19.3 billion francs on foreign travel (+1.9%), while foreign guests spent 20.5 billion francs in Switzerland (+1.6%). The balance of the tourism account remained positive but decreased compared to 2024 to 1.2 billion francs. Overnight stays dominated both directions, while day trips and shopping tourism declined.

Persons

Topics

  • Swiss tourism balance
  • Foreign spending by Swiss population
  • Inbound tourism
  • Travel traffic

Clarus Lead

The slowdown in tourism growth signals a normalization after the economic boom of previous years. The declining spending in shopping tourism reflects structural changes: the customs duty-free threshold for foreign purchases was lowered from 300 to 150 francs at the beginning of 2025, while price advantages in neighboring countries shrank. For tourism managers and border regions, this means a strategic reorientation away from shopping incentives toward experience and overnight stay offerings.

Detailed Summary

Overnight stays showed different dynamics: Swiss residents spent 13.8 billion francs on foreign stays (+4.1%), accounting for approximately 70% of their total tourism spending. Foreign guests generated higher numbers of hotel and para-hotel overnight stays, with increased average spending per night. In particular, study and hospital stays grew by 5.0% (after +8.2% in the previous year), driven by more hospitalization days and university enrollments from foreign persons.

In contrast, day and transit traffic collapsed by 9.8%. Shopping tourism declined by 3.2%, a consequence of the reduced customs duty-free threshold and more aligned price structures. Border commuters and short-stay visitors, however, increased their consumption spending by 2.9%, indicating stabilized neighboring market relationships. Swiss spending on trips without overnight stays amounted to 5.5 billion francs, overall a decline of 4.6%.

Key Findings

  • Tourism growth slows: Swiss foreign spending +1.9%, inbound +1.6% (significantly below previous year trends)
  • Tourism account balance shrinks to 1.2 billion francs – Swiss increasingly spend more abroad
  • Structural shift: shopping tourism collapses, overnight stays and medical tourism grow

Critical Questions

  1. Data Quality: How are spending by border commuters and short-stay visitors recorded, and what recording gaps might exist in this category?

  2. Shopping Tourism Causality: Can the 3.2% decline be unambiguously attributed to the lowering of the customs duty-free threshold, or do currency fluctuations and e-commerce play a role?

  3. Forecast Uncertainty: The data comes from "preliminary estimates" – how reliable are these figures, and when will revised data follow?

  4. Regional Distribution: Which Swiss regions benefit from increased overnight stays, and which suffer from the decline in shopping tourism?

  5. Foreign Trends: How are Swiss spending levels developing in individual destination countries, and which markets show saturation?

Sources

Primary Source: Federal Statistical Office (FSO) – Swiss Tourism Balance 2025

Verification Status: ✓ 22.06.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Check: 22.06.2026