Tourists disturb Lauterbrunnen: “We locals have no space left”

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Is Lauterbrunnen BE a “victim” of its own charm? Surrounded by rugged mountains and impressive waterfalls, the gateway to the Jungfrau region, the resort in the Bernese Oberland is a favorite with crowds of tourists from near and far.

As in other places where the phenomenon of “overtourism” is experienced, there is now resistance among the local people. The community sounded the alarm a week ago and invited residents to “Chropfleerete” at the community centre.

The focus: Long convoys of up to 8,000 vehicles a day, humming through the village of 2,500 people. Mountains of garbage. Many tourists like to wander around private gardens or cemeteries. “We locals have no space left in Lauterbrunnen,” says one resident, according to “SRF”.

How to proceed?

According to the news of the “Berner Zeitung”, not only are people complaining, local people are also discussing measures and solutions. So far there have been posters offering information about rules of conduct or portable toilets to prevent wild urination. But this doesn’t address the root of the problem.

The discussion turns to access barriers that turn away day-driving tourists. It’s okay for mayor Karl Näpflin, as it’s impractical and difficult to legally enforce. Another proposal has a better chance: introducing an entrance fee and entry barriers to the world-famous Staubbach Falls.

Another problem is the campers. Available sites are overcrowded and wild campers are a nuisance. An “overflow area” is planned in the Schilthornbahn car park if all legal campsites are full, Berner Zeitung reports.

More and more Swiss locations are affected

Extremely popular destinations such as Venice, Dubrovnik or Amsterdam are often mentioned in the context of overtourism. But Switzerland is also aware of the problem: Lucerne and Zermatt VS have been struggling with this problem for years, and Alpstein in the Appenzellerland has also been struggling with this problem for some time. Flims GR recently installed entry barriers to Lake Cauma, and Iseltwald BE installed a barrier at a pier where Korean tourists flock to because of a Netflix series.

André Lüthi, CEO of Globetrotter Group, sums up the situation when it comes to overtourism: “Control is needed so it can become more bearable for both locals and travellers.” According to him, quotas would have to be introduced in many places.

Source :Blick