Swiss youth hostels and campsites grew in popularity in 2008, each attracting seven per cent more business.

There were three million overnight stays in Switzerland's 274 campsites and 978,000 in the country's 57 youth hostels, according to the 2008 results of the Federal Statistics Office. By comparison, hotel stays grew by 4.7 per cent.

The Swiss accounted for more than half the stays in youth hostels (55 per cent), followed by German, British and French budget travellers.

Swiss were also the mainstay in campsites, pegging 52 per cent of available spots, alongside Germans and Dutch campers, who accounted for 33 per cent. July and August were the busiest times of the year for campsites.

Ticino, the Bernese Oberland and canton Valais were the most popular destinations for campers, while youth hostels in the Graubünden, Zurich and Ticino cantons were the favourites.

While hotel bookings during the Euro football championships dropped off compared with 2007, campsites drew 4.3 per cent more business and youth hostels remained stable.

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