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 is clearly defined. The visitors who have moved away most noticeably from Geneva as a destination are those from the USs and the UK. Together with France, these countries represent Geneva's three largest tourism markets. However, while the number of French visitors continues to rise, arrivals from both the US and the UK, as well as from the Gulf countries, are declining.
A comparison between Geneva's visitor demographics and Swiss watch export data reveals an even stronger correlation. Between 2024 and 2025, Swiss watch exports to the US dropped sharply (-18.5%), while exports to the United Arab Emirates (-2%), Saudi Arabia (-9.8%), Qatar (-17.4%), and Kuwait (-6.9%) also declined. Over the same period, Swiss watch sales in France have surged (+53.9%), although this figure likely includes a significant share of re-exports.
According to the FGTC, the Geneva Watchmaking Guide is intended for these overseas visitors, "as well as tourists from Southern Europe", who may be less familiar with Geneva's distinctive watchmaking culture than travelers from neighboring countries. Geneva is placing particular emphasis on long-haul visitors, noting that Geneva Airport—the country's second busiest after Zurich—recorded 3% growth during the first quarter of 2026. The challenge now is to ensure that travelers who arrive in Geneva choose to spend more time there and discover the world of watchmaking.
FAQ:
Q: What is the Geneva Watchmaking Guide?
A: The Geneva Watchmaking Guide is a book jointly published by the Geneva Tourism & Convention Foundation and the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, designed to introduce visitors to Geneva's watchmaking heritage. Printed in 7,500 bilingual French-English copies, it spans 175 hardcover pages and retails for CHF 30.
Q: Why is Geneva associated with watchmaking?
A: Geneva is associated with watchmaking because this expertise lies at the cultural, economic, and historical heart of the city, creating a unique network of tradition, modernity, and industrial success unmatched anywhere else. That is why Geneva Tourism chose it as the subject of its second dedicated travel guide, following gastronomy.
Q: How is tourism in Geneva performing?
A: Tourism in Geneva has rebounded strongly since the COVID downturn, even surpassing its pre-2020 level, but it now appears to be reaching a plateau: overnight stays remained nearly stable between 2024 and 2025 (3.8 million and 3.9 million, respectively), placing the canton ninth out of ten in terms of growth.
Q: What is the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie?
A: The Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) is a Geneva-based organization dedicated to promoting watchmaking and watchmaking culture. It co-published the Geneva Watchmaking Guide with the Geneva Tourism & Convention Foundation to showcase the city's watchmaking heritage to international visitors.
