480 foreign buyers from around 50 countries came to Davos from 10 to 13 September to attend the Switzerland Travel Mart (STM) 2017. This event is held every two years. For the first time, six tour operators from Iran took part.

The organisers of Swiss tourism’s biggest and most important sales event reached their target of 372,000 additional overnight stays in Switzerland, which generated some CHF 92.3 million in turnover.

China had the largest delegation, short-haul markets made a comeback

The number of participants was just as high as in 2015. China brought the largest delegation numbering 49 participants (five more than in 2015), highlighting Switzerland’s popularity as a travel destination in China. Interest from short-haul markets also continued to grow. Germany, for example, sent four more participants than last time.

This high level of participation is partly due to the constant close collaboration between Switzerland Tourism ST and tour operators in foreign markets. Jürg Schmid, former Director ST, is delighted with the resurging interest from European markets as well as the constant growth of Asian delegations: “The potential in short-haul markets is growing again. And the record presence of Asian tour operators at the STM 2017 clearly underlines Switzerland’s enormous significance as a travel destination for these countries.”