How to dodge Swiss tourists on holiday
Are you planning your next trip, but don’t want to go somewhere that half your neighbourhood has been? Our Travel eSIM data reveals which holiday destinations are most popular with travellers from Switzerland. And where you’ll be unlikely to bump into them.
Want to escape a potentially rainy, grey autumn? Already planning next year’s summer holiday? Looking to discover new countries and new cultures? Apparently, when Swiss people are choosing a holiday destination, they place an above-average level of importance on not running into other Swiss people (article in German). If you’re on the same page, you might want to look at our data on holiday destinations most and least popular with Swiss tourists.
Analysis of Galaxus’s Travel eSIM data
Over the past four months, Galaxus Mobile customers have used Travel eSims in 106 countries. This data has helped us put together a map of destinations that are off the beaten track – places where your fellow holidaymakers will be unlikely to strike up a conversation with you in Swiss German. At the same time, it also reveals where you’re most likely to bump into tourists from Switzerland.
The lowest likelihood of a «grüezi» greeting
So far, precisely one person has used a Galaxus Travel eSIM in Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba – collectively known as the Caribbean Netherlands. The three Caribbean islands have a combined population of less than 30,000, and there are no direct flights from Zurich. It’s reachable via Amsterdam in just short of a day.
Source: Shutterstock
Other destinations that have seen just one data package activated include the Bahamas, Bolivia, the British Virgin Islands, Curaçao, Madagascar, Moldova, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Rwanda, Zambia, the Seychelles, Taiwan and Uganda.
Strikingly, four of these «lone traveller» destinations are in the Caribbean. In other words, you’re highly unlikely to run into Swiss people there.
However, you don’t need to travel quite as far as that. Jersey, a 118-square-kilometre island in the English Channel, has recorded two activated data packages to date. It even gives visitors from Switzerland a little taste of home – in the form of the famous Jersey cows you also see in some Swiss pastures.
Source: Shutterstock
Is the Caucasus the next Iceland?
Twenty years ago, Iceland was considered a hidden gem. These days, you’ll find it on practically everyone’s travel bucket list. Evidently, the «off-the-beaten-track» label has an expiration date. According to our data, there are a few countries that might be approaching exactly that: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and further east, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. These countries offer mountains, hiking trails, historic towns – and a distinct lack of Swiss tourists. So if you want to be able to say, «I went there before it was cool», you’d better get your skates on and book.
Source: Shutterstock
Places to avoid
If you’d rather not run into anyone from Switzerland on holiday, here’s an (unsurprising) list of destinations to avoid:
- Italy
- France
- Germany
- Spain
- United Kingdom
Turkey, Portugal and Greece rank just below them. Side note: Just under a quarter of all Galaxus eSIMs activated are regional plans covering all of Europe.
Outside Europe, Japan, Canada, the USA, Thailand and Egypt lead the way. In fact, Japan is one of the top ten most visited destinations – the only country outside of Europe to make the list.
If all this information has made holiday planning feel even more overwhelming, remember Switzerland has its charm too:
When did you last unexpectedly run into Swiss people? Were you happy or annoyed to see them?
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