The Swiss hotel industry was confronted with another downturn in June, marking the fourth consecutive month with declines in hotel overnight stays in 2026. According to preliminary data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), hotel nights decreased by 2.4% to 2.095 million in June compared to the same period last year and down 1.6% in the prior month. This latest data comes after a strong start to the year and marks the first monthly contraction since March.
The number of overnight stays dropped by 4.4% among foreign visitors and was virtually flat among Swiss residents, registering only a 0.1% reduction in June
Hotels are starting to see some cracks in an otherwise near-record-breaking year for the Swiss hotel industry. Although the first two months of 2026 saw increases in overnight stays, March marked the first monthly decline and the situation shows no signs of improvement as of June.
For the year-to-date period, January to May, Swiss hotels recorded 16.2 million hotel nights, a 0.3% reduction compared to the same period in 2025. Domestic overnight stays increased by 0.8%, but the lift was not enough to offset the pullback in foreign visitors to Switzerland. The situation is prompting close scrutiny within the industry as it seeks to understand what might be at the root of this development. Reduced demand from abroad is a concern given the critical role international visitors play in supporting the Swiss economy.
However, it is too early to identify a particular factor as the driving force, says the FSO, noting that statistics on hotel overnight stays by nationality for June are not yet available. Hotel industry participants are expected to remain cautiously optimistic that demand from overseas will pick up during the summer months.
