Tourism direct GVA (2024) | Tourism direct employment (2024) | Travel exports (2024) |
|---|---|---|
2.9% of total GVA (up 0.1 percentage points since 2023) | 4.2% of total employment (equal to share in 2023) | 12% of total service exports (down 0.6 percentage points since 2023) |
OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2026
National tourism strategy: Tourism Strategy of the Swiss Confederation
National tourism administration: State Secretariat for Economic Affairs
National tourism budget: CHF 56 million (Switzerland Tourism); CHF 10.5 million (Innotour)
Key tourism policy priorities and actions:
Improving framework conditions for tourism – Creating a tourism-friendly regulatory environment and improving co-ordination among stakeholders.
Promoting tourism entrepreneurship – Supporting structural change, strategic capacity-building and better use of the tourism labour market.
Advancing sustainable tourism development – Positioning Switzerland as a global leader in sustainable tourism through the “Swisstainable” initiative while supporting climate adaptation and biodiversity conservation.
Tourism is an important contributor to the Swiss economy, directly accounting for 2.9% of GVA and employing or 4.2% of the total workforce, or 187 770 people (full-time equivalents) in 2024, an increase of 1.2% compared to 2023. Travel exports represented 12.0% of total service exports, a decrease from 12.6% in 2023.
International tourism has reached record levels in Switzerland. International tourist arrivals at commercial accommodation establishments rose to 12.3 million in 2024, an increase of 6.0% compared to 2023. Switzerland’s top three source markets in 2024 were Germany (19%), United States (14%) and France (8%). It is estimated that international arrivals to Switzerland decreased by 5.0% in 2025.
Domestic demand remained relatively flat in 2024, with 14.3 million domestic visitors staying more than 32 million nights in tourist accommodation establishments.
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), in collaboration with numerous national and regional level political bodies, is responsible for developing and implementing Switzerland’s tourism policy. SECO enforces the Federal Act on the Promotion of Innovation, Co-operation and Knowledge Building in Tourism (Innotour) and supervises two organisations commissioned to implement tourism-related measures: Switzerland Tourism is the country’s official marketing organisation, and the Swiss Society for Hotel Credit supports investment in the accommodation sector.
For the years 2024-27, the overall federal contribution to Switzerland Tourism will be no more than CHF 233 million. Over the same period, CHF 45 million in regular Innotour funds are available to promote innovation and co-operation in tourism, of which CHF 15 million are allocated to a COVID-19 recovery programme running until the end of 2026. The promotional activities of the Swiss Society for Hotel Credit are based on a federal loan of CHF 236 million. The New Regional Policy framework provides around CHF 200 million in loans for investment and CHF 200 million for contributions (subsidies) to projects with regional economic impact.
A programme to relieve the Federal budget provides for a 10% reduction in funding for Switzerland Tourism as well as for Innotour from 2027.
Source: OECD, adapted from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, 2026.
The Tourism Strategy of the Swiss Confederation represents the Government’s long-term vision for tourism in Switzerland. The main objectives of the Strategy are to improve the framework conditions for tourism, promote entrepreneurship, support sustainable development, take advantage of opportunities offered by digitalisation, and enhance the attractiveness of tourism products and Switzerland's market presence. The next report on the implementation and the strategic orientation of the Swiss Confederation’s tourism policy will be published in 2027.
Improving the framework conditions and reducing the regulatory burden is key for the continued success of tourism businesses. To reduce administrative tasks, Switzerland will introduce a digital guest registration system for the accommodation sector via EasyGov. This will modernise the check-in process, eliminate paper forms, and reduce administrative workload for businesses (see box below).
The shortage of personnel and skilled workers is one of the major challenges facing Swiss tourism, which can also make it difficult to encourage tourism entrepreneurship. Irregular working hours, seasonal fluctuations, limited housing, demographic shifts and competition from other sectors reduce the attractiveness of tourism careers. To address this, Switzerland supports two key industry projects: “Avanti!” by GastroSuisse and “Future in Tourism” by the Swiss Tourism Managers Association. Both initiatives aim to improve the sector’s image, attract new talent and support entry into the tourism workforce. Looking ahead, targeted support through the New Regional Policy is being considered with the aim to integrate tourism-specific concerns into broader education and labour market discussions.
Climate change poses a major challenge for tourism, affecting destinations through reduced snow reliability and extreme weather events. At the same time, tourism contributes to climate change, especially through emissions from travel. Guests increasingly expect environmentally friendly offers, prompting tourism businesses to adapt infrastructure, mobility and services. The “Kompass Schnee” helps winter destinations plan climate adaptation strategies using scientific data and a digital tool. The project is based on climate forecasts for various winter sports regions. The identified trends and observations are condensed into an instrument that allows decision makers to define and implement optimal climate adaptation strategies. The Adapt+ whole of government funding programme, introduced in 2025, will support climate adaptation in tourism, with a focus on diversifying offerings and strengthening year-round tourism.
Tourism acceptance is increasingly challenged by overcrowding, noise, and environmental impacts, especially in high-traffic areas. Switzerland Tourism and the Regional Tourism Alliance have launched co-ordinated measures to promote tourism as part of the local living environment. This includes; sensitising guests to local customs, developing a toolbox for tourism actors to manage large visitor numbers, and conducting nationwide surveys in 2024 and 2025 to assess public attitudes. Looking ahead, Switzerland Tourism will consider demand management options to better distribute visitor flows and promote year-round tourism. Regular surveys will help monitor public acceptance and develop mechanisms to better manage tourism flows.
Digitalisation remains a key strategic priority for Swiss tourism, although it remains hindered by fragmented structures and a lack of unified data standards. Despite progress, co-ordination among tourism actors is still limited. The “AI Local Guides” programme brings together major destinations like Basel, Graubünden, Lucerne, and Zurich to develop interactive digital tour guides using AI. The AI-powered guides respond flexibly to the needs of individual travellers and provide personalised experiences in real-time, combining local knowledge, historical anecdotes and current data. The digital guides can be made available via the Joaia app, integrated into their own applications via an API, or as a web plugin directly on websites. This flexibility allows destinations of all sizes to create and offer digital travel companions without great financial outlay. Tourism organisations also benefit from valuable analyses of visitor interaction.
The Swiss Federal Government plans to digitalise the guest registration process across the country’s accommodation sector. This initiative responds to Motion 21.4426, which calls for a national digital solution to replace the current paper-based system and reduce administrative burdens for tourism businesses. By digitalising the registration process, the Federal Government seeks to modernise administrative procedures, improve efficiency, and support the tourism sector’s competitiveness.
Currently, guest registration is managed by the cantons, resulting in highly fragmented and inconsistent procedures. Some cantons require registration of both foreign and domestic guests, and many actors are involved in the process. Several methods for guest data transmission were evaluated, with a study recommending an email-based solution. However, the Federal Government intends to go further by integrating a dedicated digital process into the EasyGov platform. This new “guest registration” module will allow accommodation providers to submit guest data directly to cantonal authorities, streamlining the process and reducing administrative effort. This will also require a revision of the Ordinance on Admission, Stay and Employment, as it mandates handwritten signatures from guests and removing or replacing this requirement is essential to enable digital registration.
The revision of the Ordinance is scheduled for public consultation in 2026, and the EasyGov module is expected to be implemented by 2028. Cantons with existing digital systems may continue using their current solutions. The new approach aims to support cantons without digital infrastructure and ensure nationwide consistency.