The war in the Middle East will lead to a “moderate decline” in overnight hotel stays this year, warns Switzerland Tourism. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox However, the industry’s promotional organisation is expecting stable demand during the summer period. The marked slowdown recorded by the Swiss hotel industry in March (-5.2% year-on-year), the first full month to be marked by the outbreak of war, is not attributable solely to the war, but rather to calendar effects, Switzerland Tourism said. Among these effects is the fact that the winter holidays ended in February in all regions this year, whereas in several major regions, notably Germany, they extended into March last year. However, many industry players are confident about the summer, anticipating stable demand, particularly from domestic customers and those from neighbouring countries, in line with the trend towards ‘nearshoring’ – the preference for closer, more accessible destinations. As for …