Despite the relaxation of the corona measures, the cable cars suffered a drop in sales of a third from May to July compared to 2019, as cable cars Switzerland announced on Thursday. Due to last year’s lockdown until June 8, a comparison with the year 2020 makes no sense. Overall, the summer season started even worse this year than the 2020 winter season ended.
The profitability of the Swiss mountain railways is still not given, it is said. The absence of foreign guests has a negative effect on the number of visitors. There are completely no tourists from Asia, the USA and the Arab region. Since the Swiss are increasingly enjoying their holidays abroad again, this cannot be compensated for by local tourists.
This is particularly noticeable in Central Switzerland and the Bernese Oberland. Central Switzerland is struggling with a drop in sales of three quarters. And in the Bernese Oberland, too, sales fell by 46 percent. Valais also recorded a drop in sales of around a fifth compared to the 2019 season.
The heavy rain also bothered the Swiss mountain railways. Above all, a large part of the day guests stayed away.
But not all regions have suffered. Ticino benefited from the rainy weather in the rest of Switzerland, especially on Whitsun. Ticino is growing the most with 26 percent more sales. The canton of Graubünden can also record an increase: 16 percent more sales.
The climb in summer tourism is now coming to a standstill, having doubled in the last ten years. Overall, however, the Swiss cable cars still generate around 74 percent of their annual turnover in the winter season.