Yuki Iwamura/FR171758 AP/AP/dpa
In the summer, the US national parks were well filled with Swiss campers, but bookings have plummeted for the fall. Tour operators are reporting up to 20 percent less demand – for political reasons.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- In the summer, many Swiss traveled to the USA as planned, but there are significantly fewer bookings for the fall.
- The reason: politics.
- Despite the cheap dollar and cheap flights, the USA remains less attractive, while US products are still in demand in the retail trade.
In the summer, many Swiss families were still touring the national parks of the USA by motorhome – a dream vacation that was not canceled despite the political discussions surrounding the country. “Such trips are planned well in advance and families look forward to them for months,” explains Globetrotter CEO André Lüthi. There have hardly been any cancelations.
However, the outlook for the future is very different: The industry is reporting a significant drop in demand for the fall vacations, as reported by SRF. While Kuoni sold around ten percent fewer trips to the USA than in the previous year, Globetrotter is even talking about a drop of 20 percent.
Political reservations about the United States are increasingly cited as a reason for this – even though the weak dollar is making travel cheaper than it has been for some time.
“People say they would avoid the USA,” Lüthi told SRF. Although he tries to point out that a tourist boycott would primarily affect employees in hotels, restaurants and national parks, in the end it is the personal decision that counts. After all, there are plenty of alternatives.
Airlines react with price cuts
The restraint is also affecting the airlines. In spring, Swiss began to reduce its prices for flights across the Atlantic. The airline is currently advertising special offers for the USA on its website again.
According to tour operator Kuoni, the discounts are having an effect – airports are likely to become fuller again as Christmas approaches. Christmas shopping in particular is attracting many people, as are the traditional family visits to relatives in the States.
While the desire to travel to the USA is weakening, demand for American consumer products remains stable. Neither Coca-Cola nor Californian wine are selling less well, confirm Coop, Denner and Migros. Although more than half of those surveyed in the spring stated that they would avoid US products in future, this attitude has not yet been reflected in the sales figures.
