Playa de Muro in Mallorca will also be a popular travel destination this summer.Image: Shutterstock
Spring break is underway in many places, the nice weather is coming and of course this increases the anticipation of even more holidays. But this is clouded by the current geopolitical problems. Is the situation affecting the Swiss desire to travel?
April 21, 2026, 8:05 p.mApril 21, 2026, 8:05 p.m
The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has been dragging on for more than four years. Events in the Middle East are accelerating and the world situation remains uncertain and tense. With the problems surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, shortages of oil and kerosene are also an issue.
The question arises: Are all these reports, uncertainties and price increases affecting the Swiss people’s desire to travel?
When asked about the major Swiss travel providers, the same thing sounds everywhere: the need to travel is still there. Booking development is more or less at the same level as last year. “We cannot currently speak of a general reluctance to book for the summer and autumn holidays,” writes Andreas Marti, media spokesman for Edelweiss.
Everything is becoming shorter-term
Knecht Reisen goes into a little more detail: “We are not recording any widespread reluctance; so far it can be described as ‘locally different’,” writes media spokesman Matthias Reimann. In some of the company’s 20 travel agencies, “interestingly, the reluctance of urban customers is greater than that of those in more rural areas.” They couldn’t understand why this was the case.
At Dertour and Tui it is generally noted that customers “tend to make short-term decisions” and the booking situation has become more volatile.
Cyprus, Egypt and Turkey are suffering
It is also clear that destinations to the east are currently less in demand. According to Edelweiss, this also includes destinations such as Cyprus, Egypt and Turkey. Bookings to the USA are also currently declining.
Turkey (here Belek) is one of the destinations that Swiss people tend to avoid at the moment.Image: Shutterstock
Destinations in the West are otherwise benefiting from the current situation: Spain, France, Italy as well as Portugal and Norway are often in demand. When it comes to long-distance travel, the Caribbean with Mexico or the Dominican Republic or southern Africa attract great interest.
The price development for the next few weeks cannot be predicted. Individual small increases have already been communicated. For example, due to the uncertain oil price, the “International Surcharge” was adjusted. With this, the airlines of the Lufthansa Group – and thus also Swiss – compensate for part of the fees and costs that cannot be influenced. Fuel forms one item in this surcharge.
Price development remains open
How far the price increases will be passed on in the next few weeks also depends on the type of travel. Sonja Ptassek, media spokeswoman for Tui, writes:
“If the quotas are secured in advance, customers usually benefit from stable prices. However, in the case of individually and dynamically put together trips – for example with daily combinations of flight and hotel services – price changes from our partners, especially airlines and hotels, can have a direct impact on the total price to be paid.
Dertour media spokeswoman Amélie Schnidrig also mentions such, in certain cases, more stable prices through pre-purchased quotas. Of course, supply and demand also affect prices in the short term. Even if there are no signs of price increases across the board (yet) and dynamic prices lead to ongoing adjustments anyway, the following applies: “In highly sought-after destinations, especially in Europe and the Mediterranean, this tends to lead to rising prices.”