Nouvelle Demande touristique Post-Covid

^{Photo: Dziana Hasanbekava on Pexels}

In Switzerland, tourism contributes significantly to the creation of value and jobs. In Valais, according to the 2014 study of the value added of tourism, it directly generated more than 14% of the canton's gross value added and employed nearly one person in five. The sector has therefore not been spared by the crisis. Indeed, numerous restrictions linked to the health crisis have affected the tourism sector, tourist behavior and travel habits. These restrictions have led to changes in the choice of vacation location (towards local tourism), the length of stay (short duration) and the type of activity (more individual activities).  

The question of potential changes in behavior and trends is of great interest to the various stakeholders in the sector in order to understand this new behavior and to be able to align with the expectations, requirements and preferences that were observed during the COVID period. The ability to implement new offers, adapted to the expectations of a local clientele and proximity, has already helped to cope with the decline in tourist numbers during the health crisis.  

In this context, and taking into account all these changes, the project raises the following research questions: How will the current health crisis influence the demand for tourism in Valais in the post-COVID period? And how can Valais tourism professionals seize this opportunity and adapt their offer to contain this new demand and encourage Swiss tourists to choose the destination Valais?