Tourism is one of the most important sectors of the Swiss economy as well as one of the more important employers. In 2004, approximately 3% of GDP derived from tourism. The demand for the large selection and numerous tourist services in Switzerland by foreign visitors has the same effect on the Swiss balance of payments as goods exports.

The Tourism Section is a unit of the Promotion Activities Directorate at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (seco). It is the government’s technical office for handling tourism policy and promotion. The section's most important tasks are the preparation and implementation of the government’s tourism policy.

The cantons and local authorities provide important information about Switzerland, the most beautiful places of interest, current events and special offers available to visitors, for public transport, for example.
Many regions, cities and larger towns have their own websites providing helpful information for visitors from all over the world. Switzerland and its many attractive tourist destinations are just a mouse click away on Switzerland’s official tourist website, Switzerland Tourism (STS).

There are countless possibilities for accommodation in Switzerland, including spending the night in a barn, an igloo, a tepee, outside under starry sky, in a Bed and Breakfast, in a fancy hotel, in a guesthouse with a traditional flair, etc. Check the regional and local tourist information on the Switzerland Tourism (STS) site to find out about the different options in the different parts of Switzerland.

Would you like to travel to the top of Europe? Public transport in Switzerland takes visitors to almost 4,000 metres above sea level to the icy kingdom of the Aletsch glacier at the Jungfraujoch, as well as to the coldest place in Switzerland where temperatures fall far below freezing in winter. The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and the Post Bus network work together with partner organisations and private railway operators to take Swiss and foreign passengers to the furthest corners of the Italian, French, German or Romansh parts of Switzerland. Find out about fares and travel offers at SBB stations or tourist information centres.
You are also welcome to visit and discover the many facets of Switzerland by bike, car, on foot or a combination of the different means of transport.

In addition to language, art and culture and nature, Switzerland’s regions also boast delicious food. Switzerland offers a large range of specialities, including “pizokel” in Puschlav, “brasato” and polenta in a cosy grotto along the Strada alta, “gâteau du Vully” in the historic Zähringer town of Murten, raclette in the Valais Alps or “rösti” and “gschwellti” at a country restaurant in central Switzerland.