Swiss Resorts Claim Good Winter

19th May 2024

Last modified on May 23rd, 2024

Switzerland Tourism says the success was primarily thanks to the early onset of winter in November.

Christmas and New Year holidays were fully booked out in some places.

Typical April weather in the lowlands and lots of precipitation in the mountains ensured a mixed Easter weekend at the end of the season.

Verbier, Switzerland. Image © PlanetSKI

In an assessment of the winter Switzerland Tourism revealed a number of aspects of last winter:

Good early snow

The early and heavy snowfalls in November secured the snow cover, and in many places it was white for a short time, even in the lowlands.

This created the right atmosphere and got us excited about winter sports early on, it said.

November snow is the most important and best snow, especially if it stays put or falls at all.

“The snow situation was very good very early on. We were among the first ski areas that were able to open during the week,” says Samuel Rosenast, head of communications at Davos-Klosters Tourismus.

Poor weather in places mid-winter

The bad weather periods in February and early March, on the other hand, briefly slowed down winter business in many places.

Says Sibylle Gerardi, Head of Corporate Communications & PR Lucerne Tourism, for Central Switzerland: “There were a few bad weather days, especially on the weekends in February and March.”

US market also notable in winter

For Jungfrau Region Tourism (BE), managing director Marc Ungerer is pleased: “It is mostly Americans, especially young people, who come. After the increase last winter, there were now more guests from the USA again.

The same thing can be seen in Gstaad-Saanenland, as Fluri Riedi, Director of Gstaad-Saanenland Tourism (BE): “There has been a significant increase in overseas guests – primarily from the USA.”