Swiss Review 5/2019

Swiss Review / September 2019 / No.5 7 A quick stop in Lucerne: the city in central Switzerland is extremely popular with tour groups from China. This is not universally wel- comed by the locals Photo: Keystone rived in Lucerne at virtually the same time. It was the biggest single group of holidaymakers that Switzerland had ever seen. According to a study by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, such an influx has economic benefits. In 2017, organised sightseeing generated added value worth 224 million Swiss francs alone at the watch, jewellery and souvenir shops situated on Lucerne’s central squarewhere all the tourist buses stop. This is remarkable even by Swiss standards. Response from local parliament Revenues are buoyant, but traffic and overcrowding in the city centre have become a bane for residents who com- plain that their local shops now only cater to tourists. Lucerne’s politicians are on the case, with the city parlia- ment having recently approved a mo- tion fromtheGreenParty that includes drasticmeasures such as controls over pricing and a limit on hotel beds. The city councilmust nowdrawupa report detailing how it sees tourism in 2030 – because visitor numberswill probably continue to rise. “Global growth in tourismis themain cause ofmass tour- ism,” says the Lucerne-based tourism expert Jürg Stettler in an interview with “Swiss Review” (see page 8). Situated not far from Lucerne is the popularMount Rigi – another des- tination heaving under the weight of tourists. Last year, the Rigi Railways transported almost one million peo- ple up and down themountain – again a new record. Mount Rigi is popular not onlywith the Swiss but also among tour groups fromChina and SouthKo- rea. The Rigi Railwayswant to expand, but this plan hasmet resistance. Thou- sands of people, including local celeb- rities such as cabaret artist Emil Stein- berger, submitted a petition calling for an end to the “Disneyfication” of Mount Rigi (see also “Swiss Review” 4/2018). This effort paid offwhen local citizens, municipalities and tourism leaders recently signed the Rigi 2030 charter that commits to securing a sustainable future for the iconic mountain. Generous spending Interlaken in the Bernese Oberland has also seen significant tourism growth in recent years. First you have the Asians who like to take the scenic ride by cog railway to the 3,000-me- tre Jungfraujoch, a UnescoWorld Her- itage site. Secondly, the popular desti- nation between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz is amagnet for affluent visitors fromthe Gulf States who like to travel independently. Arab visitors cough up 420 francs on average each day, hotel not included – whereas the Chinese contribute around 380 francs and the Swiss spend a relatively miserly 140 francs. Almost 90 per cent of Interlak- en’s workforce make a living from tourism. Hence littlewonder that they are so accommodating to the lucrative Middle East market. But a saturation effect is in evi- dencehere aswell, according to a study by theUniversityof Berne. Fully veiled Arab women strolling through town havebecome a conspicuous addition to local life. Unlike Ticino, the canton of Berne has not banned women from wearing the niqab face veil in public. Chinese tourists Economic growth and relaxed travel regula- tions mean that increasing numbers of Chinese are travelling abroad. The effects of this are apparent in Switzerland, where Chi- nese tourists accounted for around 17,500 overnight stays in 2005 – and approximately 147,300 in 2018. Tourism experts expect this trend to continue, because only ten per cent of China’s 1.4 billion population currently own a passport. (SWE) However, the garment is still a bone of contention. The Interlaken tourist board tries to foster communicationon both sides of the cultural divide to pre- vent misunderstanding. Tourism pro- viders receive special training, while Arab guests unfamiliar with Swiss cus- toms now have their own dedicated contact point aswell as an information guide to explain things like the Swiss highway code – because visitors from the Middle East often drive around in hire cars. “A sporadic phenomenon” Thanks to the power of social media, even remote locations are no longer immune from international attention. Take Berggasthaus Aescher-Wild-