Market – USA

The 17 team members based in the US work primarily out of New York, with each a media and trade representative on the West Coast, based in Los Angeles and San Francisco. 

Campaigning and Activation

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	Alessandra Thüring, Head of Campaigning & Activation North America
Contact LinkedIn	alessandra.thuering@switzerland.com www.linkedin.com/in/alessandra-thüring

	Cristina Stadelmann, Project Manager Marketing
Contact LinkedIn	+1 646-760-0830 cristina.stadelmann@switzerland.com www.linkedin.com/in/cristina-stadelmann/

Trade

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	Oliver Weibel, Head of Trade Relations North America
Contact LinkedIn	+1 416-695-3496 oliver.weibel@switzerland.com www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-weibel-91352628/

	Oliver Guggisberg, District Manager Western USA
Contact LinkedIn	+1 415-738-6033 oliver.guggisberg@switzerland.com www.linkedin.com/in/guggisberg-oliver-a7984b57/

	Florin Eggenberger, Trade Relations Manager Eastern USA
Contact LinkedIn	+1 646-760-0839 florin.eggenberger@switzerland.com www.linkedin.com/in/florin-eggenberger-883042b0/

	Stefanie Dosch, Project Manager Trade Relations North America
Contact LinkedIn	+1 646-760-0840 stefanie.dosch@switzerland.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanie-rose-d-527863162/

Media

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	Divine Bonga, Head of Media and Communications North America
Contact LinkedIn	+1 646-760-0835 divine.bonga@switzerland.com www.linkedin.com/in/divine-bonga-7a39682/

	Fabio Zurmühle, Social Media & Media Relations Manager
Contact LinkedIn	+1 646-760-0829 fabio.zurmuehle@switzerland.com www.linkedin.com/in/fabio-zurm%C3%BChle-795880204/

	Manuela Hess, Media Relations Manager Western USA
Contact LinkedIn	+1 213-325-3252 manuela.hess@switzerland.com www.linkedin.com/in/manuela-hess/

SCIB

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	Reto Konrad, Manager SCIB
Contact LinkedIn	+1 646-760-0836 reto.konrad@switzerland.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/reto-konrad-scib/

	Fabia Imhof, Project Manager SCIB
Contact LinkedIn	+1 646-760-0837 fabia.imhof@switzerland.com www.linkedin.com/in/fabia-imhof-343471187/

Office Manager

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	Claudia Sayangi, Office Manager NYC
Contact LinkedIn	+1 646-760-0827 claudia.sayangi@switzerland.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-sayangi-a8a27412b/

• ST market research page –– here
• ST Research Report 2023 –– Download here
• ST TMS 2017 –– Download here

Click here for an overview slide for each finalized activity in the current year. ((Will follow))

The source market USA goes from strength to strength. With a growth of 12.5% in 2024, we had another record year and produced well over 3.4 million overnights. Our forecast for 2025 is bullish, and we expect another yet more modest growth.

President Donald Trump’s first weeks back in the White House have been dizzying. He kicked off his second presidency with a fury of policy actions — imposing (then postponing) tariffs on Canada and Mexico, barring transgender people from serving in the military, and eliminating many US foreign aid programs. He has revealed plans to purge the FBI of his perceived enemies and provided sweeping pardons to his insurrectionist supporters. And he’s vowed to launch the most extensive deportation program in American history. Trump’s race to honor his promises and desire to build a legacy brings risk and turmoil to America and the world.

2024 was a massive year for equity gains driven by the AI explosion, a slew of Fed interest rate cuts, and a robust U.S. economy.  The Nasdaq surged 28.6%, while the bellwether S&P 500 notched a 23.3% gain, marking the index’s best two-year run since 1997-1998. And the markets expect continued strength heading into 2025.

When President Donald Trump retook the presidential oath of office on January 20, he inherited a very different economy than the one he left for President Biden four years ago. 

Real GDP in the United States has grown at an average annualized rate of 2.7% over the four quarters ending in the third quarter of 2024 and by 2.9 percent on average over the prior eight quarters. This is notable as the incoming Trump administration has set a goal for 3% growth, yet the economy is already performing in the vicinity of it. 

Employment levels were at near-historic highs. The job vacancies-to-unemployment ratio, at 1.05, is tighter than the previous cycle’s average, signaling a strong labor market with a job opening for almost every unemployed worker. Still, Americans perceive the job market as more challenging than a few years ago. 

Falling energy prices helped pull inflation down to 1.5 percent annualized in the third quarter of 2024 alone. Over the past year, inflation of 2.3 % has remained above but close to the Fed’s target of 2%, while inflation-adjusted wage growth, which had been negative for much of the COVID-19 pandemic, turned positive over the past two years.  At the same time, real median household income, a broader measure of income that includes both wage and capital income, and some transfers such as Social Security, has generally grown more slowly than wages alone in recent quarters, albeit still positively.

A survey by the USTOA (United States Tour Operator Association) revealed that the mood among American TOs is undeniably positive, with 73% of respondents anticipating significant sales growth of 7% – 10% or more in 2025. Europe continues to dominate the popular destinations list and Europe accounts for 52% of USTOA’s Active Member travel packages sold in 2024. Italy remains the most popular destination, and the Vatican’s Jubilee will undoubtedly attract many Americans who want to combine their trip also with Switzerland. Art and culture and culinary programs rank highest among USTOA tour operators for experiential travel offerings, with 77% of USTOA tour operator members providing programs in both categories.

Our airline partners also expect two-digit yield growth in 2025, with the transatlantic routes being highly coveted. Flight inventory between the US and Switzerland grows continuously, and Edelweiss will launch a new seasonal direct flight between Seattle and Zurich in June 2025.

Switzerland Tourism’s trade relations team is extremely active in the market, especially in the luxury segment. Our presence at L.E Miami, ILTM North America, and with Virtuoso, where we again won Tourism Board of the Year, solidifies Switzerland’s position with American high-end travelers.

Americans love ‘ticking-off’ must-sees and prefer destinations, which are well-known in America. Thankfully, Switzerland is one of them. While the natural beauty of Switzerland attracts them, they often stay in our cities. Four out of the top five destinations visited by Americans in 2023 are cities (Zurich, Luzern, Geneva, and Basel), with Zermatt being the only mountain resort making the list. Destinations in the Bernese Oberland saw a disproportionally high growth from the US in 2024, and we saw a significant increase in interest in travel by train.  Here are some Key Trends in the US:

• Guests take more international trips and spend more money on vacations

• 2.2 trips pre-pandemic up to 3.8 trips per year now
• Overall spend up by 16%
• Millennials take almost 4x more international trips than Boomers
• Boomers spend more than twice as much per trip compared to Millennials

• Changes in travel behavior turned from pent-up demand to new normal
• Millennials are on the cusp of their peak spending years
• Interest in Europe is smaller with GenZ and Millennials than with Boomers

• SoMe is a powerful tool to inspire these generations
• TikTok most downloaded app
• Travel content has been reimagined for short-form, vertical, sound-on formats

• More sources used than ever before to plan vacations 
• Share of bookings made on smart phone up by 15% compared to 2019
• Share shift from mobile web to mobile app
• 79% of international travelers prefer to visit multiple locations

The US market focuses primarily on the personas Kris, Max and Pat. Find more information about the personas here.