The Swiss' desire to travel remains unbroken. This is also evident at this year's FESPO holiday fair & golf fair in Zurich, where Edelweiss gave an overview of the most popular holiday destinations in 2024 and presented the trends for the coming travel year. Island destinations were particularly popular last year, while there are signs of growing enthusiasm for northern Europe and flexible travel combinations for 2025.
Switzerland may be a landlocked country, but its inhabitants are traditionally drawn to the sea - especially to the islands of southern Europe. In 2024, the Canary Islands, Greece and the Balearic Islands were very popular. The Canary Islands in particular, which are attractive as a destination all year round thanks to their mild climate, recorded strong demand.
On long-haul routes, the USA, Canada and Tanzania topped the list of the most popular destinations. Both city trips and nature experiences play a major role. While metropolises such as New York and Toronto continued to be in high demand, there was growing interest in scenic destinations. The Azores were also a surprise success, attracting numerous Swiss holidaymakers with their untouched nature and spectacular volcanic landscapes. The high demand led Edelweiss to add an additional route to the Azores island of Terceira to its program in 2025.
New travel trends: The north in focus
Two clear developments can be seen for the year 2025: On the one hand, interest in destinations in Northern Europe is increasing, and on the other hand, trips that combine different holiday elements are becoming more popular.
In particular, Scandinavian cities such as Bergen and regions such as Northern Norway and Lapland are attracting more and more tourists. Ireland and Great Britain are also seeing growth, with destinations such as Cork, Edinburgh and Cornwall. This development reflects an increased search for varied and often less crowded travel destinations.
Combination trips: relaxation meets culture and adventure
Parallel to the trend towards the north, there is a growing interest in trips that combine relaxation and discovery. Travelers do not just want to stay in one place, but rather explore several highlights within a country.
Popular examples of this are Egypt, where beach holidays on the Red Sea can be combined with a visit to Luxor or Cairo, or Tanzania, where Zanzibar is a popular beach destination after a safari in the national parks. Oman is also experiencing increased demand, which is why Edelweiss now serves both Muscat and Salalah.
New destinations and fleet expansion
To mark Edelweiss' 30th anniversary, the offer will be expanded to include further attractive destinations. In addition to the new route to the Azores already mentioned, Halifax in Canada, Seattle in the USA, Bristol in the UK, Zadar in Croatia, Calvi in Corsica and Tbilisi in Georgia will be added in 2025.
In order to continue this expansion course, the airline's fleet is being modernized. By 2027, six Airbus A350s will be added to the long-haul fleet in order to offer passengers even more travel comfort and new destinations.
With these developments, the travel year 2025 promises a diverse range of offers for Swiss holidaymakers, ranging from arctic landscapes to culturally rich city trips to exotic islands.
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