Switzerland's hotel industry regained momentum in September, supported by an increase in guests from both abroad and within the country, according to a second estimate published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) on Thursday. The total number of overnight stays rose by 5.9 percent compared to the same month last year, exceeding the initial estimate of 5.5 percent.
Foreign guest arrivals increased by 6.7 percent, while domestic demand saw a significant gain of 5.0 percent. European visitors provided a boost, with overnight stays from the region growing by 7.2 percent. Germany and the United Kingdom recorded identical increases of 7.8 percent each. Additional gains were registered from France at 3.2 percent, the Netherlands at 2.6 percent, and Italy at 2.0 percent.
Asian markets displayed mixed trends. Overnight stays from China surged by 18.0 percent, whereas demand from India dropped by 2.2 percent and from the Gulf States by 1.6 percent compared to the previous year. Additional support came from the Americas, where overnight stays advanced by 6.6 percent, led by the United States with a 4.7 percent increase.
The September performance follows several weaker months, raising hopes for a market recovery. In the first eight months of 2026, Swiss hotels recorded a total of 30.2 million overnight stays, representing a 0.7 percent decline from the prior-year level. With the exception of July, all months since the outbreak of the Iran war had seen downward trends. The FSO will release definitive September figures, including absolute overnight stay totals, on November 5.
