Swiss tourist hotspot Zermatt considers day tripper fees

Tourists take in a view of the Matterhorn in Switzerland Keystone

The large number of day trippers is causing problems for the Swiss tourism hotspot of Zermatt, which lies in the shadow of the iconic Matterhorn mountain. Now the idea of ​​a tourist levy is being floated.

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There are places that are literally overrun by day visitors. A prime example is Venice. This year, the Italian city responded to this by charging day visitors a fee. Over a period of several weeks, they had to pay €5 for entry at certain times.

+ Swiss village mulls Venice-style tourist tax

Such a fee is currently also on the table in Zermatt, research by Swiss public broadcaster SRF has uncovered.

Green Label project

Last spring, members of the local council and tourism bosses met at a workshop to discuss a tax for day trippers. This means that those guests who do not bring in any income for the hotels and holiday apartments will be asked to pay. The goal is to get guests to stay longer.

+ Mass tourism: “We feel like employees in a theme park”

The idea is that anyone who visits Zermatt for the day would have to pay CHF12, which amounts to the regular tourist tax for guests who stay in Zermatt for three days.

Payment would be made via an app and the proceeds would go to the municipality’s sustainability fund. The project has been called “Green Label” because people who are only in Zermatt for one day would finance sustainable projects, according to the workshop’s documents.

Nothing decided yet

There would be exceptions for delivery workers and tradespeople. People who visit someone in Zermatt would also not have to pay anything.

The main reason for the discussion about the fee is the dissatisfaction of the locals, say those involved. For some, the large number of guests is becoming more and more of a burden.

Nothing has yet been decided, but the discussion is ongoing, as several people with knowledge of the matter confirmed to SRF. No-one wanted to comment on how far it has progressed. The spokesperson for Zermatt Tourism simply said that measures are constantly being reviewed. Some are pursued, others not.

However, SRF research shows that the imposition of such a fee is currently being legally clarified.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

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