The number of European tourists in Switzerland would fall by at least a third during the winter season, AFP reports.
In the context of quarantine measures upon entry into Switzerland, the relaunch of external demand has slowed significantly, the Swiss economic institute KOF said in a statement.
KOF added that increasing the number of overnight stays by Swiss tourists will not be enough to cover the gap left by foreign tourists.
Overnight stays of Swiss tourists would increase by 8% during the winter season compared to the pre-crisis period. However, the total number of overnight stays would decrease by at least 30%.
And if the pandemic worsens, the decline could exceed 50%.
The Covid-19 pandemic will cause an estimated loss of 13.3 million overnight stays during 2020, which is equivalent to a decrease in turnover of 1.6 billion francs (1.4 billion euros) for the hotel sector.
For the entire tourism sector, the decline in turnover would exceed 10 billion francs. In 2021, the decrease in turnover would be one of almost 6.2 billion francs compared to 2019.
33.000 jobs were lost in the hotel and restaurant industry in Switzerland in the first half of 2020.
