EURO 2008 INFO

Tourism in Switzerland is on track to achieve the best year in its history, thanks in part to the EURO 2008. The number of overnight stays in hotels is expected to rise for the first time the milestone of 37 million, or 5% more than in 2007.

The winter season (November-April) has already been particularly successful with an increase in overnight stays estimated at 6.8%, "said State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Thursday in a statement.

The dynamism of last winter due to the excellent snow conditions, the impact of favorable currency exchange rates, and an encouraging situation.

In the aftermath, the summer season (May-October 2008) is expected to grow by 3.5% and cross the 20 million nights for the first time in fifteen years, according to forecasts from the institute BAK Basel Economics.

EURO 2008 football vigorously stimulate foreign demand this summer. Tourists from other countries should generate a higher volume of overnight stays by half a million to those recorded over the period May-October of last year - an increase of 4.9%.

The domestic demand is expected to increase more modest but still strong (+1.7%), thanks to a climate of consumption and a labour market which remain favourable.

Overall demand is expected to decrease slightly (-1.1%) next year to backlash, but find a positive trend thereafter. Since 2010, the number of overnight stays in hotels will increase by approximately 1.7% per year, according to the predictions of the BAK.

Forecasts specific lifts Swiss reported revenue up 13.7% this year. Next year, they should fall back to 4.4% given the comparison with the excellent winter 2007/2008 marked by good weather conditions