Martin Nydegger said concerns by the local population about too many tourists should be taken seriously. But the perception of overtourism was mistaken and potentially damaging.
He said notably Chinese and Indian guests were more noticeable in public, but they were outnumbered by tourists from Europe and the United States visiting Switzerland.
He also pointed out that the local tourist industry benefited from an increasing number of Asian tourists who helped compensate for the European guests staying away as a result of the Euro crisis in 2008.
“I don’t want to imagine a situation where this would not have been possible,” he told SRF public radio at the weekend.
Europe first
His comments came as political moves are underway to link state subsidies for tourism specifically to guests from Europe.
Notably Swiss mountain resorts have suffered a massive decline in the number of guests from neighbouring Germany over the past ten years.
A record number of Chinese tourists at some in sightseeing hotspots and a huge party of Indian guests at the mountain resort of St Moritz earlier this year caught media attention.
Switzerland TourismExternal link, which is mainly funded by the government, has announced it will launch a major marketing campaign next year to attract more European guests.
More
More
Attracting a new generation of Indian tourists
This content was published on
Does Switzerland need to leave behind the classical image it has in India so that a new generation of tourists can fall in love with the Alpine country?
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
Swiss to reduce administrative burden on farms from 2026
This content was published on
From 2026, the number of inspections of farms is to be reduced, without any loss of quality, said economics minister Guy Parmelin.
Swiss insurance boss proposes Singapore-style healthcare system
This content was published on
CEO of Swiss health insurer Sanitas has said that healthcare costs could be reduced if Switzerland were to follow the Singapore model.
Swiss minister talks crime and security in visit to the Netherlands
This content was published on
Swiss justice minister Beat Jans spent two days in the Netherlands discussing security, police cooperation and justice with international bodies.
Study finds more heavy metal detected in Swiss grassland
This content was published on
Copper and zinc can be expected to accumulate in the soil, particularly if farmyard manure is used for several years and is greater than the amount of nutrients absorbed by the grass. This was announced by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) on Friday. The findings are based on the results of the seventh National Soil Monitoring of Switzerland (Nabo).
Lilo Baur wins Swiss Grand Prix for performing arts
This content was published on
The Swiss actress and theatre director Lilo Baur has received this year's Swiss Grand Prix for Performing Arts, also known as the Hans Reinhart Ring.
Court rules al-Qaeda supporter can stay in Switzerland
This content was published on
A Kurdish supporter of the Islamist terrorist network al-Qaeda can stay in Switzerland, the Federal Administrative Court has ruled. It has withdrawn the annulment of the man’s provisional admission.
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has closed criminal proceedings relating to the Swiss owners affected by the Volkswagen “Dieselgate” emissions scandal.
This content was published on
The employment outlook in Switzerland will remain stable towards the end of 2024, according to the KOF Swiss Economic Institute at ETH Zurich.
Swiss woman accuses Donald Trump of sexual assault
This content was published on
A former Miss Switzerland candidate has accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in New York in 1993. The US Republican candidate’s campaign team has denied the accusations.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Lucerne: overcrowded by tourists?
This content was published on
How many tourists are too many? The city of Lucerne is thinking of new ways to deal with the enormous amount of daily visitors it has.
This content was published on
Figures issued by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) have revealed a structural change in where tourists are coming from. The number of visitors from Europe, the traditional market of Switzerland’s inbound tourism, has been declining sharply. Meanwhile, the numbers of visitors from China, the Gulf states, and Southeast Asian countries had been on the rise.…
Swiss tourism industry owes a debt to Indian actress Sridevi
This content was published on
Actress Sridevi Kapoor, who died at the age of 54, helped popularise the trend of Bollywood song-and-dance sequence against a Swiss backdrop.
This content was published on
The heatwave and beautiful weather last summer meant many people decided to chill out at home, according to the TCS travel barometer 2019External link, published on Monday by the Touring Club of Switzerland. Italian-speaking Ticino and Graubünden in eastern Switzerland topped the attractivity ranking, followed by Italy, which just pipped canton Valais. These destinations were followed…
This content was published on
Overnight stays in Swiss Alpine resorts have increased for four consecutive seasons, with summer destinations doing better than winter destinations.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.