Despite Trump politics Swiss travel to the USA more frequently again
Despite political tensions, more Swiss people are crossing the Atlantic again - nature experiences in particular make the USA shine as a travel destination.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Despite political tensions under Donald Trump, Swiss recorded passenger growth of 5% on US routes in the first half of 2025, with tourism demand picking up again.
- The weakening US dollar is making travel to the USA cheaper for the Swiss, which is particularly favorable for individual travel and nature experiences.
- While summer bookings are flourishing, autumn remains subdued - but travel providers see further potential as prices remain low.
Neither political tensions nor irritating headlines surrounding Donald Trump can seriously harm the USA as a travel destination - at least not among Swiss tourists. Despite a temporary dip in the number of arrivals, more Swiss people are crossing the Atlantic again. In the first half of 2025, the airline Swiss recorded passenger growth of 5 percent on US routes compared to the previous year.
"People are looking for hotels and travel information to the USA more frequently again - that's an early indicator for us," Swiss spokesperson Michael Pelzer told SRF. At the same time, Swiss has also operated more flights to the USA than in the previous year.
Political headwinds - but tourist attraction remains
The comeback comes as a surprise: since Donald Trump moved back into the White House at the beginning of January, reports of refusals of entry have become more frequent. His aggressive rhetoric, the tariff dispute and even a bizarre threat to annex Canada raised international eyebrows - and initially led to fears that US tourism could lose billions.
But the picture has changed. Demand is picking up again, especially for individual travel and nature experiences, as the tour operator Hotelplan reports. The New York skyline and nature parks such as Yosemite are clearly retaining their magical appeal - despite the geopolitical turmoil.
Bargain hunting in the land of opportunity
Another driver: the weakening dollar. Since the beginning of the year, the US currency has lost around 10 percent of its value against the Swiss franc. This means that hotel accommodation and flight tickets have become significantly cheaper for the Swiss. The weak dollar is making the USA attractive again - and not just for shopping fans, as SRF writes.
While summer travel is currently flourishing - many bookings have already been made in 2024 - the outlook for the fall remains cautious. André Lüthi, head of the Globetrotter Group, is currently still registering a reluctance to book in the fall, but sees potential: "If prices continue to fall, this could change quickly."
Swiss confirms: Bookings up to December are currently at the previous year's level. But: "The majority of fall bookings will only come in the next few weeks," says Pelzer.
