Private ski butlers, live-in chefs and rare cigars: Inside Switzerland’s ultra-luxury travel boom
American travellers have visited Switzerland in file numbers, resulting in a surge in in a single day stays.
Enterprise is booming for the world’s wealthiest people. Uncoincidentally, so is Switzerland’s tourism business.
In 2024, Switzerland lodges recorded 42.8 million in a single day stays – the very best in over 50 years. A key driver? Luxurious travellers, notably from the US, who’re flocking to the Alpine nation in file numbers.
Because it turns into clearer the influence rich travellers have on the Swiss financial system, the nation is doubling down on its standing as the last word high-end vacation spot.
Personal ski butlers, bespoke experiences, and VIP service
For many years, Switzerland’s pristine landscapes and elite popularity have made it a magnet for prosperous travellers. The nation has lengthy been synonymous with exclusivity, from its five-star lodges and Michelin-starred eating to non-public ski chalets and discreet banking providers.
Put up-pandemic, Switzerland is leaning additional into personalised, high-end experiences, tailor-made to the few quite than the numerous.
Motels in Alpine locations reminiscent of St. Moritz, Zermatt and Gstaad have raised the bar with providers you may anticipate to see within the luxurious resorts of the TV drama White Lotus: Personal ski butlers to preheat your boots, heli-skiing excursions and even Harley-Davidson bikes for company to drive.
The nation’s five-star lodging now include anticipated perks reminiscent of live-in cooks and concierge providers that curate once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Some, like The Chedi, boast extravagances reminiscent of a set of 1000’s ofuncommon cigars – these can set you again as much as €8,600.
Luxurious tourism means large enterprise
World billionaires grew their collective wealth by a staggering €1.94 trillion in 2024, in line with the World Financial Discussion board. For Switzerland, homing in on high-net-worth people as a customer technique seems to be paying dividends.
Final 12 months, overseas in a single day stays climbed by 5.1 per cent to 22 million, with US travellers accounting for a couple of quarter. In the meantime, Chinese language and Indian guests every elevated by double digits, signalling progress in long-haul luxurious journey, too.
Whereas they could not are available massive numbers, high-wealth company have a sizeable influence. 5-star lodges make up solely about 8 per cent of all in a single day stays, however the company who keep in them account for 25 to 30 per cent of Switzerland’s whole tourism income.
“The numbers communicate for themselves,” Markus Berger of Switzerland Tourism instructed the BBC. “The excessive financial significance justifies a dedication to luxurious company.”
Critics have questioned whether or not these ultra-luxe guests may value out native vacationers, nonetheless. Comparable tourism success tales have unravelled elsewhere, reminiscent of in Rome, the place short-term leases have pushed up lease, forcing residents to dwell out of town.
How does Switzerland evaluate to different luxurious vacation hotspots?
Switzerland’s luxurious tourism increase isn’t occurring in isolation. Locations worldwide are vying for a bit of the high-end market.
As an illustration,Tenerife is repositioning itself as an unique getaway, launching initiatives particularly geared toward US luxurious travellers, whereas resorts fromthe Maldives toAustria and Greece are providing customized itineraries, personal sanctuaries, and standalone wellness complexes to enchantment to rich jet-setters.
What Switzerland hopes will proceed to set it other than different luxurious locations is its mix of old-world grandeur and trendy opulence.
Whereas locations reminiscent of Dubai and the Maldives promise extravagance, Switzerland presents understated luxurious rooted in heritage, wellness, outside adventures, and a world-class – and sometimes homegrown – service. That would stay a profitable formulation for the world’s wealthiest travellers, and much more so for Swiss hospitality.
