“Ideally, fewer tourists are coming now”

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Would you pay five francs for a photograph? Since Thursday there has been a turnstile in front of the pier in Iseltwald BE on Lake Brienz. If you want the perfect selfie, you have to give up your money. Even going to the bathroom is no longer free, it costs a franc.

Due to the Korean Netflix series “Crash Landing on You”, countless tourists, mainly from Korea, have flocked to the village of 420 people since last year. Now the municipality of Iseltwald has become active and is demanding money for the perfect photo.

Small community, many tourists

“This is an entirely common measure,” says Jürg Stettler, 58, president of the Institute for Tourism and Mobility at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. This is completely normal in the USA.

Iseltwald is struggling with a very fundamental problem: the community was previously unknown abroad. With the Netflix series, excitement flared up among Koreans, possibly triggered by social media. “Tourists are increasingly visiting places that were not designed for this in terms of capacity,” Stettler explains.

The municipality does not just throw money into the safe with turnstiles. It is also a control measure. “Ideally, fewer tourists are coming in now,” Stettler says. The question arises whether these can be deterred by precautionary measures. Not all tourist groups are equally price sensitive. In the video, tourists hardly understand the 5-franc barrier.

Stettler also criticizes turnstiles. Those who want money should also offer added value. “The turnstiles offer no added value,” Stettler says.

Image does not suffer

Swiss Tourism sees things differently. According to the organization, which markets Switzerland as a tourism destination abroad, the turnstile ensures that the best possible photo is taken. And Switzerland’s image is not at risk either: “With a range of guest management measures, the region and community ensure that guests have the most unique experience possible,” says a spokesperson on request. In addition to the turnstiles, Iseltwald’s measures include more PostBus routes and organized bus parking spaces. Also, international guests are already accustomed to being charged entrance fees at tourist attractions.

Now the question arises how long will Iseltwald remain a hotspot for Koreans. Stettler suspects the trend is less sustainable. “It’s speculation after all. In the end, supply and demand decide.”

Source :Blick