Switzerland might be small, but it is going strong in Canada. According to recently released tourism data from the Swiss Federal Office of Statistics, Canadian arrivals and overnights increased again slightly in 2015 compared to the previous year, concluding in another record year. Over the last ten years alone, the number of Canadians visiting Switzerland has been growing by a total of 30%.

The latest numbers show an increase of 0.6% in Canadian arrivals in Switzerland, for a total of 104,444. According to final 2015 figures, the number of overnight stays was 234,218, an increase of 1.5% compared to 2014 (only overnights in Swiss hotels are counted; vacation homes, other kinds of accommodation and visits with friends and family are not included).

These numbers show that Canada remains an important market for Switzerland. “We are committed to Canada and will continue in doing various promotions targeted at Canadians only”, says Evelyn Lafone, Market Director Canada, pointing to the launch of the new eLearning program and sales guide in French for travel professionals and hosting Quebecois media in Switzerland in May as the latest examples. “Our partner Swiss International Air Lines supports us in bringing more Canadians to Switzerland – with the new Edelweiss flights from Calgary to Zurich and flights from Vancouver to Zurich during the summer months.”

The most popular destinations for Canadians were the Zurich Region with 64,911 overnights, the Geneva Region (48,025) and the Valais Region (21,050). With 52.6% more overnights in 2015, the Bern Region recorded the biggest growth in visits from Canada.

Questions: Please contact Evelyn Lafone, Market Director Canada