Lucerne is booming: Young travelers discover nature and enjoyment!

Lucerne is booming: Young travelers discover nature and enjoyment!

Luzern Tourismus AG has published the results of a comprehensive guest survey conducted by Switzerland Tourism in October 2024. This survey, which surveyed more than 22,000 overnight guests from over 147 markets, shows a clear trend: more and more young tourists are drawn to the city on Lake Lucerne.

Almost half of those surveyed were between 16 and 35 years old. The main motivation for visiting Lucerne is the breathtaking nature, the impressive mountains and the picturesque panorama. Historical experiences and the city's central location were also highlighted as key plus points. Despite the high level of satisfaction - 86 percent of guests reported a very positive stay - there are also critical voices. Aspects such as high prices, unfavorable weather and an atmosphere perceived as too touristy were cited as negative factors. Loud Nau.ch The average length of stay in Lucerne was 1.88 nights in the region and 1.79 nights in the city.

Developments and statistics in tourism

The survey, which included 625 direct interviews over 30 minutes in Lucerne, also determined that the city recorded a total of 1.41 million overnight stays in 2024 and that the entire Lucerne-Lake Lucerne region recorded 4.07 million overnight stays. This corresponds to an increase of 6.4 percent compared to the previous year for the city and 3.1 percent for the region. Most overnight stays no longer came from Switzerland, but for the first time from the USA, where 383,000 overnight stays were registered, followed by Switzerland with 344,000 and Germany with 86,000 overnight stays. This shows the increasing international influence on Lucerne tourism.

Another notable aspect is the decline in coaches, which have fallen sharply since stopping fees were introduced on Schwanenplatz. In April 2023 there was a decrease of 66 percent compared to the previous year, which surprised the city of Lucerne. In addition, the tourist associations of the lake communities are merging to form the new “Luzerner Riviera Tourism” in order to further strengthen the brand.

Financial aspects of tourism

Luzern Tourismus AG closed the 2024 financial year with income of 15,653,000 francs and expenses of 15,632,000 francs. This resulted in an annual profit of 21,000 francs. Philipp Hächler has been appointed to the board of directors of Luzern Tourismus AG. Net occupancy of hotel rooms in 2024 was 68.74 percent compared to 66.10 percent in the previous year, highlighting the positive trend in the hotel industry.

The survey clearly shows that Lucerne is becoming more popular among young travelers. There is an increasing focus on nature and spectacular landscapes, which could positively influence the city's tourism strategy. Tourism developments will continue to be a focus in the future as the city focuses on becoming even more attractive to young guests from all over the world.

The results and trends give Lucerne the opportunity to sustainably position itself as a destination that not only offers a wide range of experiences, but also responds to the needs and wishes of younger travelers.

For more information about the survey and results, please visit Lucerne newspaper.