Basel's tourism sector experienced strong growth in January 2026, with arrivals and overnight stays reaching their highest January levels in the four-year dataset, reflecting a robust post-pandemic recovery. Key drivers included significant increases in hotel occupancy and a notable rise in visitors from the United States.
The data for January 2026 shows a continuation of strong growth in Basel's tourism sector. Both arrivals and overnight stays reached their highest January levels in the four-year dataset, with arrivals at 55,571 and overnight stays at 99,534. This represents an approximate 14% increase in arrivals and a 12% increase in overnight stays compared to January 2025. The average stay duration remained stable at 1.8 nights. Hotel occupancy also improved significantly, with approximately 69,301 rooms occupied out of 140,311 available, yielding an occupancy rate near 49.4%, which is a notable increase from the 41.4% rate observed in January 2025. The domestic market, Switzerland, remained the dominant source of visitors, accounting for 42.6% of all overnight stays. Germany was the second-largest market with a 14.2% share, followed by the United States, France, and Great Britain. The growth in arrivals and stays from the United States, which accounted for 5.0% of overnight stays, appears to be a key factor in the overall increase. The data indicates a robust post-pandemic recovery trend, with January 2026 performance substantially exceeding pre-2024 levels.
| Country of Origin | Arrivals | Overnight Stays | Share of Total (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schweiz | 26,148 | 42,362 | 42.6 % |
| Deutschland | 8,274 | 14,111 | 14.2 % |
| Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika | 1,879 | 4,948 | 5.0 % |
| Frankreich | 2,701 | 4,291 | 4.3 % |
| Grossbritannien | 2,156 | 4,277 | 4.3 % |
| Other | 14,413 | 29,545 | 29.7 % |
| Total | 55,571 | 99,534 | 100.0 % |
| Category | Arrivals | Overnight Stays | Share of Total (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4- und 5-Stern | 23,001 | 43,452 | 43.7 % |
| 3-Stern | 16,546 | 28,597 | 28.7 % |
| Keine Kategorie | 8,846 | 15,923 | 16.0 % |
| 1- und 2-Stern | 7,178 | 11,562 | 11.6 % |
| Total | 55,571 | 99,534 | 100.0 % |
| Year | Arrivals | Overnight Stays | Avg Daily Overnight Stays | Occupancy Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 55,571 | 99,534 | 3,210.8 | 49.4 % |
| 2025 | 48,878 | 89,163 | 2,876.2 | 41.4 % |
| 2024 | 44,613 | 84,000 | 2,709.7 | 42.9 % |
| 2023 | 40,843 | 76,269 | 2,460.3 | 38.6 % |
🤖 This text was generated with the assistance of AI. All quantitative statements are derived directly from the dataset listed under Data Source.