Due to the Easter holidays, the Saanenland experienced a successful March, with an increase of 11% in overnight stays. However that made for a slow April, as expected, with a 13% decrease in stays. The Bernese Oberland saw a total seasonal decrease of 3.8% in overnight stays, while Switzerland as a whole had 15.4 million overnight stays—1.8%, or approximately 277,000 fewer than last year.

The 2015-2016 winter season sadly did not feature much snow, especitally early on in the key tourist months of December and January. As a result, winter overnight stays decreased by 5.6% and 6.8% per month, respectively, while February brought more moderate losses of just 1.8%.

As for nationality of guests, more American tourists were welcomed to the region this past winter than last year, to the tune of 10,000 overnight stays, a nearly 10% increase. Guests from the Netherlands and the Gulf states also enjoyed Gstaad more than ever, with increases of 14.4% and 8.7%.

However German guests dropped by 14%, the same number that abandoned Swiss holiday plans in 2014-2015. Belgians also stayed away, amounting to a 27% drop in overnight stays, and lastly, Chinese stays decreased by 11.9%.

WIth a strong franc making Switzerland an even pricier destination than usual for guests worldwide, the Saanenland is at the mercy of the currency markets. Local hotels and services must hope that the beauty and charm of the Swiss Alps continue to attract tourists who are willing to pay top dollar for their holidays.