While Swiss hotel revenues have soared to a record CHF 12.4 billion, propelled by a powerful return of international visitors, this headline figure is just the first chapter in a remarkable story of resilience and transformation across every category, canton, and guest demographic.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, the Swiss hotel industry generated total revenues of CHF 12.4 billion, representing a 8.7% year-over-year growth driven by international tourism recovery
- The average revenue per available room (RevPAR) for Swiss hotels in 2022 stood at CHF 142.50, up 15.2% from pre-pandemic levels
- Luxury hotels in Switzerland achieved an average daily rate (ADR) of CHF 512.80 in Q4 2023, fueled by high demand from Middle Eastern guests
- Swiss hotel occupancy rate averaged 62.4% in 2023, recovering to 95% of 2019 levels
- Zurich city hotels achieved 68.7% occupancy in Q3 2023, highest since 2019
- 5-star hotels nationwide had 71.2% occupancy in 2022, up 12% YoY
- Swiss hotels employed 142,500 full-time equivalents (FTEs) in 2023, a 7% increase from 2022
- Hotel sector accounted for 4.2% of total Swiss employment in 2022, with 165,000 jobs
- Women comprised 58.3% of the Swiss hotel workforce in 2023
- Total overnight stays by foreign guests reached 25.6 million in 2023, up 16.4% YoY
- German tourists accounted for 32.7% of hotel nights in Switzerland in 2022, totaling 8.9 million stays
- US visitors contributed 2.1 million overnight stays in 2023, a 24% increase
- Total hotels in Switzerland numbered 5,142 in 2023, providing 152,400 rooms
- 4-star hotels dominate with 1,928 properties (37.5%) in 2022
- New hotel openings: 45 in 2023, adding 4,200 rooms, mainly in cities
The Swiss hotel industry achieved record profits and occupancy in 2023 thanks to strong tourism recovery.
Employment and Labor
- Swiss hotels employed 142,500 full-time equivalents (FTEs) in 2023, a 7% increase from 2022
- Hotel sector accounted for 4.2% of total Swiss employment in 2022, with 165,000 jobs
- Women comprised 58.3% of the Swiss hotel workforce in 2023
- Average annual salary for hotel managers in Switzerland was CHF 112,400 in 2022
- Seasonal workers made up 32.7% of hotel staff in mountain regions in 2023, totaling 28,000 FTEs
- Front desk staff turnover rate was 24.5% in Swiss hotels in 2022
- 5-star hotels employed 15,200 FTEs in 2023, 11% of total sector workforce
- Apprenticeships in hospitality numbered 12,500 in Switzerland in 2023
- Foreign workers constituted 41.2% of hotel employees in 2022, mainly from EU countries
- Housekeeping staff averaged 1.2 FTEs per 10 rooms in urban hotels in 2023
- Zurich hotels employed 22,400 FTEs in 2023, 16% of national total
- Chefs and kitchen staff turnover was 18.9% in 2022
- Average working hours per FTE in hotels was 1,720 annually in 2023
- Bern hotel employment grew 5.3% to 9,800 FTEs in 2023
- 65% of hotel managers held hospitality diplomas in 2022
- Part-time workers were 28.4% of workforce, mainly women in service roles, 2023 data
- Labor costs per available room averaged CHF 52.30 daily in 2022
- Geneva hotels had 14,500 FTEs in 2023, with high reliance on Portuguese workers
- Training investments per employee reached CHF 1,850 in 2023
- Under 30-year-olds made up 42.1% of new hires in 2022
- Revenue per employee in luxury hotels was CHF 285,000 in 2023
- Ticino hotel staff numbered 11,200 FTEs in 2022
- Diversity training covered 78% of staff in 2023
- Hotel employment vacancy rate dropped to 4.2% in Q4 2023 from 7.1% in 2022
Employment and Labor Interpretation
Switzerland's hotel industry appears to be a well-oiled, if persistently leaky, machine—it’s growing again, propped up by a largely female, increasingly diverse, and commendably well-trained workforce, yet it still grapples with the Sisyphean task of staffing its beautiful but demanding posts, as turnover and seasonality continue to show that keeping a hotel running smoothly is often a marathon sprint.
Hotels and Infrastructure
- Total hotels in Switzerland numbered 5,142 in 2023, providing 152,400 rooms
- 4-star hotels dominate with 1,928 properties (37.5%) in 2022
- New hotel openings: 45 in 2023, adding 4,200 rooms, mainly in cities
- Zurich boasts 285 hotels with 12,500 rooms in 2023
- 5-star hotels: 85 nationwide, 1.6% of total but 12% of rooms, 2022 data
- Average hotel age is 28 years, with 15% renovated post-2020 in 2023
- Geneva has 142 hotels, focusing on luxury and business segments, 2023
- Mountain regions host 2,100 hotels, 41% of total, specialized in seasonal ops
- Smart room tech installed in 42% of hotels by 2023
- Lucerne: 120 hotels, 4,800 rooms, key lakeside infrastructure, 2022
- Sustainability certifications held by 1,250 hotels (24%) in 2023
- Average room size in Swiss hotels: 22 sqm, with suites at 45 sqm, 2023
- Basel: 95 hotels, strong MICE facilities with 20,000 sqm conference space
- EV charging stations at 650 hotels (13%) in 2023
- Budget hotels: 1,200 properties, 18% of market, growing via conversions, 2022
- Bern: 98 hotels, emphasis on historic buildings, 2023
- Spa facilities in 420 hotels, covering 8% of properties, 2023 expansion
- Ticino: 450 hotels, Mediterranean-style infrastructure
- High-speed WiFi coverage: 96% of rooms in 2023
- Lausanne: 75 hotels, 3,200 rooms, lakeside developments ongoing
- Closures: 32 hotels in 2022 due to costs, mainly independents
Hotels and Infrastructure Interpretation
Switzerland's hotel industry, much like its finest chocolate, presents a carefully layered picture: a dominant core of reliable 4-star properties is being steadily refreshed with urban expansion, smart upgrades, and a growing commitment to sustainability, even as the older, independent segment feels the bitter pinch of rising costs.
Occupancy Rates and Capacity
- Swiss hotel occupancy rate averaged 62.4% in 2023, recovering to 95% of 2019 levels
- Zurich city hotels achieved 68.7% occupancy in Q3 2023, highest since 2019
- 5-star hotels nationwide had 71.2% occupancy in 2022, up 12% YoY
- Winter sports resorts like Zermatt reached 92.3% occupancy in Dec 2022-Feb 2023
- Geneva airport hotels averaged 75.4% occupancy in 2023, driven by business travel
- Average length of stay in Swiss hotels was 2.8 nights in 2023, up from 2.5 in 2021
- 3-star hotels in Bern had 58.9% occupancy in 2022
- Lucerne lakeside hotels recorded 69.1% occupancy in summer 2023
- Nationwide bed capacity utilization was 55.2% in 2023 for all accommodation types
- Basel convention hotels hit 74.2% occupancy during trade fairs in 2022
- Mountain hotels averaged 48.7% annual occupancy in 2023, peaking at 85% in winter
- 4-star superior hotels achieved 65.8% occupancy nationwide in Q1 2023
- Ticino region hotels had 60.3% occupancy in 2022, boosted by Italian tourists
- Budget segment occupancy grew to 67.1% in 2023
- St. Gallen hotels averaged 61.4% occupancy in 2023
- Lausanne urban hotels reached 64.2% occupancy in 2022
- Total available hotel rooms in Switzerland numbered 152,400 in 2023
- Interlaken adventure hotels had 78.5% occupancy in peak summer 2023
- Eco-hotels occupancy premium was 5.2% above average at 67.6% in 2023
- Nationwide hotel nights sold totaled 38.2 million in 2023, up 14% YoY
- Davos hotels peaked at 89.7% occupancy during WEF 2023
- Average room occupancy for chain hotels was 66.3% in 2022
Occupancy Rates and Capacity Interpretation
Switzerland's hotel industry is on a healthy upswing, proving that whether you're a ski bunny in Zermatt, a business traveler in Geneva, or a budget-conscious tourist, there's a Swiss bed waiting for you—just don't expect to keep it for very long.
Revenue and Financials
- In 2023, the Swiss hotel industry generated total revenues of CHF 12.4 billion, representing a 8.7% year-over-year growth driven by international tourism recovery
- The average revenue per available room (RevPAR) for Swiss hotels in 2022 stood at CHF 142.50, up 15.2% from pre-pandemic levels
- Luxury hotels in Switzerland achieved an average daily rate (ADR) of CHF 512.80 in Q4 2023, fueled by high demand from Middle Eastern guests
- Total hotel turnover in the canton of Zurich reached CHF 2.1 billion in 2022, accounting for 17% of national hotel revenues
- Midscale hotels reported a 22% profit margin increase in 2023, with net operating income per room at CHF 45,200 annually
- In 2023, 4-star hotels generated CHF 4.8 billion in revenue, comprising 39% of the sector's total income
- Hotel group Accor reported CHF 1.2 billion revenue from Swiss properties in 2022, a 10% rise YoY
- Independent hotels contributed 62% of total Swiss hotel revenues in 2023, totaling CHF 7.7 billion
- Revenue from food and beverage services in Swiss hotels hit CHF 3.2 billion in 2022, up 18% from 2021
- City hotels in Geneva saw ADR growth of 14.3% to CHF 285.40 in 2023
- Nationwide hotel EBITDA margin improved to 28.5% in 2023 from 22.1% in 2022
- Mountain resort hotels recorded CHF 1.9 billion in winter season revenues for 2022/2023
- Budget hotels' total revenue grew 25% to CHF 1.5 billion in 2023, driven by domestic travelers
- Basel hotels generated CHF 850 million in revenues in 2022, with conferences boosting F&B sales by 30%
- 5-star hotels' RevPAR reached CHF 320.10 in Lucerne in 2023, a record high
- Overall Swiss hotel industry profit before tax was CHF 2.8 billion in 2023, up 19% YoY
- Spa and wellness hotels contributed CHF 950 million to revenues in 2022, growing 12%
- Online booking revenues for Swiss hotels amounted to CHF 4.1 billion in 2023, 33% of total
- Bern's hotel sector revenues hit CHF 650 million in 2022, with MICE events adding CHF 120 million
- Franchise hotels saw 11% revenue growth to CHF 3.3 billion in 2023
- Average hotel room rate nationwide was CHF 198.70 in 2023, up 9.2% from 2022
- Ticino hotels generated CHF 1.1 billion revenues in 2022, 9% of national total
- Conference hotels' revenues rose 16% to CHF 2.4 billion in 2023
- Family-run hotels accounted for 55% of revenues at CHF 6.8 billion in 2023
- Lausanne hotels reported CHF 520 million revenues in 2022, with ADR at CHF 240
- Eco-certified hotels saw revenue premium of 15% over average in 2023, totaling CHF 1.8 billion
- InterContinental Hotels Group properties in Switzerland earned CHF 750 million in 2023
- St. Moritz luxury hotels hit CHF 450 million seasonal revenues in winter 2022/2023
- Nationwide ancillary revenues (spa, parking) added CHF 1.6 billion to hotel incomes in 2023
Revenue and Financials Interpretation
Swiss hospitality has not only recovered but is thriving on a meticulously crafted blend of luxury opulence and shrewd business, where independent and family-run inns quietly power a multibillion-franc engine that luxuriates in record profits while efficiently catering to everyone from budget-conscious locals to Gulf-state royalty.
Tourist Arrivals and Stays
- Total overnight stays by foreign guests reached 25.6 million in 2023, up 16.4% YoY
- German tourists accounted for 32.7% of hotel nights in Switzerland in 2022, totaling 8.9 million stays
- US visitors contributed 2.1 million overnight stays in 2023, a 24% increase
- Average stay length for international guests was 3.1 nights in 2023
- Chinese tourists returned with 1.8 million stays in 2023, 85% of 2019 levels
- Domestic tourists made 12.4 million hotel nights in 2022, 32% of total
- UK guests totaled 1.9 million stays in 2023, up 18%
- Business travelers occupied 28% of hotel rooms in cities like Zurich in 2022
- French visitors: 2.3 million nights in 2023
- Ski holiday stays peaked at 6.2 million in winter 2022/2023
- Italian guests: 2.8 million overnight stays in Ticino hotels 2022
- MICE events drew 1.4 million bednights in 2023
- Leisure tourists comprised 72% of stays in mountain hotels 2023
- Dutch visitors: 1.1 million stays, up 12% in 2022
- Group bookings accounted for 35% of hotel occupancy in 2023
- Austrian tourists: 1.5 million nights in 2023
- Wellness stays totaled 4.1 million nights in 2022
- Families with children: 22% of guest arrivals in summer 2023
- High-income tourists (>CHF 150k) 18% of luxury hotel guests 2022
- Solo travelers increased to 15.4% of stays in 2023
- Total hotel arrivals numbered 18.7 million in 2023
- Switzerland hosted 45.2 million overnight stays across all accommodations in 2023, with hotels at 84%
- Nordic countries contributed 850,000 stays in 2022
- Adventure tourists (hiking, biking) 28% of summer stays in 2023
Tourist Arrivals and Stays Interpretation
With Germany steadfastly claiming the top bunk and American enthusiasm hitting new peaks, Switzerland’s tourism story in 2023 is one of robust recovery, where business meets leisure on the slopes and in the spas, all while the world, from families to solo adventurers, collectively agrees that three nights is just enough to fall in love with the place and start planning the return trip.
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