Study reveals Poor rating for hospitality in Switzerland

Despite a flourishing tourism sector, Switzerland is rated internationally as not very hospitable. According to a recent global survey, it only ranks 46th out of 53.

Mighty mountains, idyllic landscapes, famous sights: Switzerland magically attracts vacationers from near and far. In 2023, the Swiss hotel industry recorded well over 40 million overnight stays (41.8 million), as reported by the Swiss Tourism Federation. This corresponds to an all-time high and an increase of 9.2 percent compared to 2022.

On the other hand, Switzerland is less record-breaking when it comes to friendliness. In a recent survey, it was even perceived as one of the least friendly countries. The Expat Insider Report by the website Internations, which surveyed around 12,000 people living abroad, evaluated various aspects of life abroad, including quality of life and the cost of living. Friendliness was also assessed. In this category, Switzerland only ranked 46th out of 53.

European countries at the bottom

The Scandinavian countries fared particularly badly. Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark are at the bottom of the rankings. Especially in cities such as Stockholm and Oslo, the population is perceived as unfriendly. Around half of those surveyed said negative things about the inhabitants of these cities, reports "20 Minuten".

Germany and Austria fare even worse than Switzerland when it comes to friendly treatment of foreigners. Overall, European countries ranked low in the survey, with nine of the ten most unfriendly countries in Central and Northern Europe.

Popular countries in South America and Asia

In contrast, countries in South America and Asia are known for their friendliness. Costa Rica tops the list of the friendliest countries, followed by Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand. Brazil, Colombia and Mexico are also praised for their hospitable populations. Egypt and Oman also score highly.

The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.