Survey: Only a few Swiss locations affected by overtourism

Only a few Swiss locations affected by overtourism Keystone-SDA

There is no "overtourism" in Switzerland, according to a survey by Switzerland Tourism conducted in April and May. Only 5% of respondents were concerned about tourism.

When respondents perceived problems with tourism, inflation, pollution and littering as well as traffic problems come out on top. This is followed by the increasing scarcity of living space and damage to nature and the environment.

Instead of “overtourism”, Switzerland Tourism speaks of “selective local and temporal bottlenecks”. In tourist centres in particular, the respondents also noted “a certain disrespect on the part of tourists” – be it towards the respondents themselves, their families or their own country and the environment.

Lauterbrunnen recently made headlines as a prominent example. The community of 2,300 reacted to the influx of tourists with signs calling for more respect.

The industry and Switzerland Tourism are aware of the problems. “We take these local situations very seriously,” Martin Nydegger, Director of Switzerland Tourism, said. The marketing organisation has therefore been trying to raise awareness of travel in the low season and for places away from the hotspots.

The number of overnight stays in the Swiss hotel industry is heavily concentrated in the peak periods of winter and summer. Over the whole year, however, Swiss hotels only operate at around half capacity.

Together with tour operators, Switzerland Tourism is therefore carrying out promotions directly in the markets of origin, as stated in the press release. Autumn in particular is being put in the spotlight. In addition, Switzerland’s diversity is being showcased worldwide “so that travelers are better distributed” across the country.

Translated from French by DeepL/jdp

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