At the start of the eight-day holiday, the so-called golden week, more Chinese people are going on vacation than ever before. The canton of Bern is still not a primary destination, with the once very popular destinations in the Bernese Oberland.
Although China has also relaxed its travel restrictions due to the pandemic in 2023, guests from the Middle Kingdom are currently still staying away from the Bernese Oberland, as Annette Stoffel, managing director of Hotellerie Suisse Berner Oberland, confirms.
While at the end of July 2019 there were 193,000 overnight stays booked by Chinese tourists, in July 2023 there were a modest 37,000 nights. That’s around a fifth of the nights before the pandemic.
The reason is the economic situation
A similar picture emerges everywhere in Switzerland regarding Chinese tourists. Even in Swiss cities, people are currently looking in vain for the masses from China. Currently only five percent of overnight guests come from there, according to Manuela Angst, chairwoman of the management at the municipal organization Bern Welcome. That is “significantly below average. We will probably not be back at pre-pandemic levels until 2026.”
The reasons for this are varied. “In China, the borders were opened later after the pandemic than in Switzerland,” says Angst. According to Chinese tour operators, there is not yet enough flight capacity.
According to Annette Stoffel from Hotellerie Suisse Berner Oberland, the current economic development in the Middle Kingdom also plays a role: “Chinese tourists are hesitant and satisfy other consumer needs first, and only then do travel.”
2023 is shaping up to be a record year in the city
Despite the lack of guests from China: the canton of Bern is and remains a popular excursion destination. In the city of Bern in particular, we are heading towards a record year. The number of tourists in Bern is expected to be even higher than before the pandemic. Numerous concerts and the World Climbing Championships were able to attract a large audience to the city.
According to Bern Welcome, guests in the federal capital mainly come from Germany, the USA and the rest of Switzerland. Business tourism is completely back in the city of Bern. In addition, the number of guests in the Bernese Oberland is also on track.
2023-10-02 18:38:35
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