Surprise! Swiss like to holiday in the mountains

The results of a poll by the GFS Zurich Institute, released on Tuesday, showed that close to 80 percent of the country's residents spend their summer vacation in the country where they live, the ATS news agency reported.

Italian-speaking Ticino, in the southern part of the country, attracts the most holidaymakers from Switzerland (19 percent) during the warmest part of the year, ahead of the mountainous cantons of Graubündnen (16 percent), Valais (12 percent) and Bern, the agency said.

In the winter, around 70 percent of Swiss residents spend some holiday time in Switzerland.

Close to a quarter (23 percent) vacation during the cold season in Graubünden (home to Saint Moritz among other mountain resorts), while 19 percent prefer Valais and ten percent Bern.

The survey of 1,000 people was conducted by GFS Zurich last July.