Basel Tourism Surges in December 2025 with 6% Rise in Arrivals

February 16, 2026

In December 2025, Basel experienced robust growth in tourism, with a 6% increase in arrivals and a 3% rise in overnight stays compared to the previous year, despite a slight decrease in available rooms and average stay duration. The data highlights a trend towards luxury accommodations and significant contributions from Swiss nationals and American tourists, with seasonal holiday travel likely boosting these figures.

In December 2025, Basel experienced an increase in tourism activity compared to previous years. Arrivals reached 101,142, marking a 6% rise from 2024 and a 25% increase from 2023. Similarly, overnight stays totaled 175,960, which is a 3% increase from the previous year and a 23% increase from 2023. The number of available rooms slightly decreased to 140,110, while occupied rooms increased to 99,867, indicating a higher occupancy rate. The average stay duration slightly decreased to 1.7 days from 1.8 days in previous years.

Hotel occupancy rates varied by category, with higher-end hotels showing higher occupancy rates, reflecting a trend towards more luxury accommodations. The data indicates that Swiss nationals contributed the most to overnight stays, accounting for 35% of the total, followed by visitors from the United States, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Notably, the United States showed a significant presence, with 10.5% of the total overnight stays, suggesting a growing interest from American tourists.

Seasonal effects typical for December, such as holiday travel, likely contributed to the increased tourism activity. There were no significant anomalies or special events noted in the data that would have skewed these figures. Overall, Basel's tourism sector showed robust growth in December 2025, with a notable increase in both arrivals and overnight stays, reflecting a positive trend for the city's hospitality industry.


Table 1: Overnight Stays by Country of Origin in December 2025
Country of Origin Arrivals Overnight Stays Share of Total (%)
Schweiz 40,694 61,537 35.0 %
Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika 9,581 18,424 10.5 %
Deutschland 9,270 16,270 9.2 %
Italien 5,897 11,134 6.3 %
Grossbritannien 5,242 10,791 6.1 %
Other 30,458 57,804 32.9 %
Total 101,142 175,960 100.0 %


Table 2: Overnight Arrivals and Overnight Stays in December 2025
Category Arrivals Overnight Stays Share of Total (%)
4- und 5-Stern 44,148 80,090 45.5 %
3-Stern 29,597 50,286 28.6 %
Keine Kategorie 14,388 24,337 13.8 %
1- und 2-Stern 13,009 21,247 12.1 %
Total 101,142 175,960 100.0 %


Table 3: Arrivals and Overnight Stays in December by Year
Year Arrivals Overnight Stays Avg Daily Overnight Stays Occupancy Rate (%)
2025 101,142 175,960 5,676.1 71.3 %
2024 95,507 171,408 5,529.3 68.9 %
2023 80,647 142,761 4,605.2 58.9 %

Figure 1: Overnight Stays by Origin of Visitors in the last 24 Months

Data source: Monatliche Ankünfte und Logiernächte, Tägliche Ankünfte und Logiernächte nach Herkunftsland, Tägliche Ankünfte, Logiernächte, Zimmer nach Hotelkategorie
Additional resources: Tourismusstatistik 2024

🤖 This text was generated with the assistance of AI. All quantitative statements are derived directly from the dataset listed under Data Source.