Follow the Guide!

Summer has arrived, giving Geneva a valuable opportunity to appeal to tourists seeking cooler temperatures by the lake. The city is looking to capitalize on its strategic location at the heart of Europe by building a tourism offering around its strongest assets. Geneva Tourism first highlighted the city's culinary scene with a dedicated guide released in 2024. A year later, it expanded the concept with a second publication devoted to Geneva's cultural, economic, and historical hallmark: watchmaking. The ambition is "to build a collection", according to the FGTC, leaving room for additional themed guides in the coming years. "The Watchmaking Guide was printed in 7,500 copies in French and English. It will later be translated into other languages, most likely in a condensed edition." 

A publication worthy of its subject

The guide mirrors the industry it celebrates: refined and premium. Rather than relying on the familiar foldout maps available at most visitor centers, it adopts the same attention to detail and sense of quality associated with fine watchmaking. Featuring a hardcover, perfect binding, and no fewer than 175 bilingual pages in French and English, it costs just CHF 30.

The project comes at a time when Geneva's tourism industry continues to perform strongly. Since the downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, overnight stays have climbed steadily, exceeding even the pre-pandemic levels of 2018 and 2019. Yet signs suggest that this growth may now be reaching a plateau.

Between 2024 and 2025, overnight stays remained virtually unchanged, rising only from 3.8 million to 3.9 million. Among Switzerland's 10 cantons posting growth in overnight stays, Geneva ranks only ninth—well behind Valais. As travelers increasingly favor greener destinations, Geneva is intensifying its efforts to enhance the appeal of urban tourism that is environmentally responsible, human-scaled, and centered on experiences found nowhere else. Watchmaking represents that unique attraction: an unmatched combination of heritage, innovation, craftsmanship, economic strength, and remarkable success stories, all enhanced by the enduring appeal of luxury.

Who is the guide for?

The target audience for the Geneva Watchmaking Guide is clearly defined: Switzerland, France and the UK are its priority markets. These three countries are among Geneva’s main tourism and watchmaking markets, although they are showing different trends. While the number of French visitors is rising sharply, UK visitor numbers are declining, while Switzerland remains a key market for Geneva’s watch industry.

Comparing the map of tourists visiting Geneva with that of watch exports further confirms this priority. Between 2024 and 2025, Swiss watch sales to France surged by 53.9%, although this figure likely includes some re-exports. The UK remains a major watch market, while Switzerland is naturally a strategically important proximity market.

The Geneva Watchmaking Guide is therefore primarily aimed at these three markets, while also targeting an international clientele and tourists from Southern Europe, the FGTC notes. The goal is to capitalize on Geneva’s appeal and its airport, which grew by 3% in the first quarter of 2026, to encourage visitors to extend their stay and discover the richness of the city’s watchmaking heritage.

You can purchase it online here, and pick it up at the Geneva Tourism Office or have it delivered to you, with worldwide shipping available.