Chinese tourism in Switzerland is slow to bounce back, with a number of obstacles holding back potential travelers.

The lack of air capacity is cited as one of the main causes: whereas before the pandemic, there were around twenty direct air links between Zurich and mainland China, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, there are currently just three direct flights a week to Shanghai. Flights from Beijing to Geneva are operated four times a week by Air China.

Many travelers from China opt for flights with a stopover. According to Zurich Airport, Frankfurt, Dubai, Hong Kong, Doha and Amsterdam are the most frequent transit points. In Europe, Switzerland Tourism estimates that air capacity is around half what it was before the pandemic.

What's more, during the crisis, many travel agencies in China laid off staff who are now needed to restart operations. Especially as hotel capacity in Switzerland is already booked up by other tourist groups.