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Swiss village considers entry fee to combat overtourism
Lauterbrunnen, a captivating village in the Swiss Alps, is considering charging tourists an entry charge to help manage the influx of visitors that is overwhelming the little population.
Lauterbrunnen is one of Switzerland's most renowned attractions, with stunning landscape, monuments such as the Staubbach Falls, and Alpine charm. Photo Credit: Ian Rutherford / Alamy Stock Photo
Lauterbrunnen, a captivating village in the Swiss Alps, is considering charging tourists an entry charge to help manage the influx of visitors that is overwhelming the little population. Lauterbrunnen’s local officials are looking for ways to reduce overtourism and its harmful consequences, following in the footsteps of Venice.
The settlement, located in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland area, has less than 800 residents. It suffers challenges such as clogged streets, trash roads, and rising rental prices as a result of the influx of tourists. A working group has been formed to devise alternatives, one of which is imposing an entry fee on certain guests.
According to Swiss Info, the suggested fee would range between 5 and 10 Swiss francs ($5.50 to $10.99) and would be paid using a smartphone app. It would mostly affect day-trippers arriving by automobile, while tourists staying overnight, booking excursions or taking public transit would be excluded. Lauterbrunnen Mayor Karl Näpflin emphasised the importance of such steps to preserve the village’s quality of life and ecology.
This proposal is consistent with similar efforts around the world, where over 60 sites have implemented tourist tariffs to manage visitor numbers. However, such measures are frequently controversial. Locals in Venice protested the establishment of an entry fee on April 25, believing that their city was becoming a theme park. Venice’s fee trial will continue until July 14.
Lauterbrunnen is a popular tourist destination due to its breathtaking sights, including Staubbach Falls, one of Europe’s highest unbroken waterfalls. The village’s popularity helped the Swiss hotel industry record its highest-ever summer season overnight stays last year, with 23.9 million. The proposed entry charge tries to strike a balance between the benefits of tourism and the need to protect the local people and environment.
