Sortir de la crise. Enjeux et modalités de la politique hôtelière suisse entre 1937 et 1950

Abstract

After the devaluation of the Swiss franc in 1936, the Swiss hospitality industry, which had been severely affected by the Great Depression, regained its competitiveness. Suddenly, its financial recovery seemed within reach. Under the leadership of Franz Seiler, the Société fiduciaire suisse de l’hôtellerie (SFSH) drafted a bill to relieve hoteliers of some of their debts. However, the outbreak of the Second World War interrupted this initiative, which was not implemented until 1944. In 1950, when the hospitality industry faced new turbulences, the existing supportive measures were called into question. Based on the preliminary results of an ongoing research project, this contribution outlines the stakes of the Swiss hospitality industry policy between 1937 and 1950, a period which, in many respects, appears to have been decisive.

Keywords

• Swiss hospitality industry
• history of tourism
• tourism in Switzerland
• State intervention
• hotel debt
• Société suisse des hôteliers (SSH)