Industry News
Switzerland’s ski hotels and mountain resorts just closed the books on their busiest winter season in history—and no group contributed more to the international surge than U.S. tourists. From November 2024 through April 2025, Swiss hotels logged a record-breaking 18.5 million overnight stays, according to provisional data released Monday by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (BSF). The total represents a 2.8% increase over the already record-setting 2023-24 season, when 18 million overnight stays were recorded during the winter months.
Foreign demand drove much of that growth, up 5.5% year-on-year to 9.2 million overnight stays—the highest level seen since the 2007-08 season. Visitors from the American continent generated 1.7 million overnight stays (+13.4%), with U.S. citizens contributing the majority—1.2 million stays, up 12.4% or 128,000 from last winter. American tourists contributed the largest increase of overnight stays of any nation, with an increase of 128,000 overnight stays from the previous winter.
The increase continues a post-COVID trend that has seen American interest in the Swiss Alps explode. In just two seasons, overnight stays by U.S. visitors have jumped by nearly a quarter. Switzerland’s picturesque peaks, luxury chalets, and iconic ski towns—including Zermatt, St. Moritz, Verbier, and Grindelwald—have proven a powerful draw for North American travelers, many of whom are now using Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass, which since 2022 includes Andermatt-Sedrun and Crans-Montana since 2023.
While U.S. visitors recorded the most significant national increase, the American continent as a whole still trailed Europe in both total and increased overnight stays. European guests accounted for a total of 5.7 million overnight stays, an increase of 198,000 or 3.6% from last season. The biggest increase came from French guests (+31,000 or +4.7%), followed by German tourists (+19,000 or +1.2%), who still make up the largest share of international guests by country, with a total of 1.6 million overnight stays. Visitors from the United States, however, are now the second-largest group of foreign winter tourists to Switzerland.
Another surprising increase in visitors came from Australia and New Zealand, with 20% more visitors coming all the way from the furthest end of the planet. In terms of overnight stays, numbers for Oceania jumped by 17.2% or 27,000 overnight stays. Slightly closer to Switzerland, but still a fair journey away, overnight stays by guests from India rose by 21.6% or 37,000. Meanwhile, China has been growing at a somewhat muted 3.3% or 8,000 overnight stays.
Domestic tourism in Switzerland, on the flipside, has plateaued at 9.3 million nights—barely up from last year but still a new record for Swiss travelers vacationing at home. While domestic tourists make up slightly more than half of overnight stays in Switzerland, the number of skier visits is dominated by domestic skiers, with on average 65% domestic skiers in Swiss ski resorts. Swiss skier visits this year were also up strongly, with the Swiss Association for Mountain Railways (SBS) recording an increase of 11% skier visits year-on-year.
For Swiss tourism officials, the message is clear: The Alps are booming again, and U.S. Americans are at the heart of the revival.
