Vacation fever in Switzerland: every second person is traveling at least three times this year

The willingness to travel is very high across all sections of the population: 92% of all respondents plan to take at least one vacation trip in 2024. Around half are even planning at least three trips this year. This includes all private trips with at least one overnight stay away from home, including visits to friends or relatives. 

"The high willingness to travel underlines the importance of mobility and relaxation in society," explains Comparis mobility expert Adi Kolecic. "Travel is significantly more expensive than before the pandemic. Nevertheless, very few people want to do without vacation trips," Kolecic continues.

Half spend more than 1,000 francs on vacations

The Swiss spend a lot on their vacations: almost half of those surveyed said they would spend more than CHF 1,000 on their longest vacation in 2024. 64% of high-income earners with a gross household income of more than CHF 8,000 will spend more than CHF 1,000 per person on their main vacation, with 21% even spending more than CHF 3,000. By comparison, only 3% of those on low incomes (gross monthly income: up to CHF 4,000) have a travel budget of more than CHF 3,000 for their longest vacation trip.

Majority plan at least three vacation trips this year

51 percent of respondents are planning at least three private trips in 2024. Here too, differences in income shape travel behavior: Around two thirds of people with a high income will take at least three trips this year, but so will a third of people with a low income.

"The high wage level in Switzerland enables most people to travel several times a year. Despite higher prices, travel costs are low in relation to income," says the Comparis expert.

Only very few people spend their main vacation in Switzerland

Only 15 percent of respondents spend their longest private trip at home. Europe is the most popular destination: almost two thirds travel to other European countries for their main vacation. One in five people prefer non-European destinations. Respondents with a high income are more likely to travel to other continents than those with a low income. In contrast, people with a low income are more likely to stay in Switzerland.

"Compared to our neighboring countries, the Swiss spend more of their vacations abroad. On the one hand, this is probably due to the size of the country. On the other hand, the strong franc makes traveling abroad more attractive for Swiss holidaymakers," says Kolecic.

Families prefer summer, older people travel in fall

The most popular time to travel is summer: 54% of the longest private trips take place at this time of year. While families prefer summer (69%), people aged 56 and over tend to travel in the fall (41%). 

As the main travel season, summer tends to be more popular in Romansh-speaking Switzerland than in German-speaking Switzerland.

The higher the income, the longer the vacation

The Comparis analysis shows that: Income has a strong influence on travel behavior. While almost 97% of people from high-income households will travel at least once this year, the figure for low-income households is 83%. 

"Travel remains a question of disposable income. However, the willingness to travel is relatively high even with lower incomes," comments Kolecic.

Almost half of the longest vacation trips (49 percent) last at least 8 nights. There are clear differences in income here: Only just under 34% of people from low-income households spend longer than a week on their main vacation. However, this is the case for 59% of people with a high income. 

Travel is significantly more expensive than before the pandemic

Comparis launched the Leisure Price Index in May 2024. It measures inflation in the areas of leisure and culture as well as hospitality and travel. It shows that prices for air travel have risen by 33.3 percent within five years. Package tours and the hotel industry have also become significantly more expensive.

However, the higher flight prices do not seem to be a deterrent: Almost one in two people travel by plane for their main vacation. Vacation flights are particularly popular with the young and urban population.

Source: www.comparis.ch