HORECA is comprised of three sub-sectors, and it refers to
accommodation, restaurant and catering industries, which are generally associated with the
hospitality activities carried out in a country. The investors who are interested in
opening a company in Switzerland in the
HORECA sector will need to obtain compulsory
business licenses, depending on the operations of the future legal entity set up here.
Furthermore, such units have to comply with numerous regulations, related to the
satefy of the products and services delivered to local and foreign
customers and
our team of consultants in company formation in Switzerland can offer in-depth assistance on the requirements that have to be met by such businesses.
Swiss hotel industry
Switzerland has a small market when discussing of the
hotel industry. It has approximately
5.100 hotels, accounting for
140,000 rooms. Even so, in the
European context, Switzerland represents the
9th market on this matter and the
11th in terms of incoming tourists.
The
tourism industry in Switzerland contributes to the
country’s gross domestic product (GDP) with 2,7% (at the level of 2015). This accounted for
CHF 16 billion. Also, it is important to know that the
tourism sector employs approximately
63,000 full-time employees.
Our team of specialists can advise on the
employment law available for persons operating in the
HORECA sector.
Although it does not represent a top industry, those who want to
open a company in Switzerland in this sector should take into consideration that in the last years the
demand has steadily increased, from both
local and foreign visitors.
Obtaining licenses in Switzerland
As a general rule, when
opening a business in Switzerland it is not required to
apply for business licenses, unless the
company will develop business operations that will need approval on the local market. In the case of a
HORECA business, such
permits are compulsory. As such, companies that will
handle food products in
hotels or restaurants have to
obtain an authorization issued by the
Federal Office of Public Health, responsible for the
implementation of the food legislation available in the
Swiss cantons.