Where do Swiss people most often vacation?
The Swiss love for tradition is also reflected in their travel behavior. Swiss Bankers has identified the most popular vacation destinations of the past year based on the expenditures of its clients.
The results show that the Swiss still prefer to vacation in their own country. More than a quarter of travel expenditures in 2023 were made in Switzerland, according to the study reported by swissinfo.ch.
When it comes to traveling outside of Switzerland, the most popular destinations are the closest neighbors. France is in first place with 7.3% of the transaction volume, followed by Germany (7.1%). Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, and the United States are the first non-European destinations, ranking seventh.
Distant countries are also gaining popularity. Spending on travel to Japan has more than doubled, while Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, and Thailand have also seen significant growth.
Greenland became the destination where the least money is spent in 2023.
The Swiss spend the most money on local shopping during their vacations, followed by hotel, flight, and mobility expenses. Just under 7% is spent on restaurants. Mobile payments abroad are also becoming increasingly popular - this option is the most commonly used in the eurozone (69%), followed by the US dollar (17%).
In terms of seasons, summer leads the way with 27% of travel spending, spring and fall are also popular travel periods with 25% each, and winter is at 23%.
Earlier, Travel Wise wrote about 5 small European countries that are ideal for day trips.