Which Swiss towns suffer most from overtourism?

Zermatt, Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald are the Swiss towns with the highest tourism intensity, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office analysed by Watson.

Tourism overwhelming Swiss residents, according to Watson

Switzerland has long been a popular tourist destination, partly due to its mountains, lakes and idyllic villages. However, tourist numbers in the alpine nation are on the rise. 

“The number of tourists is exploding - and the residents are often overwhelmed,” reports Watson. In 2024, a new record was set when 43 million overnight stays were reported by hotels.

Watson has analysed data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) and revealed the Swiss towns most affected by overtourism. Towns have been compared using tourism intensity, calculated by “dividing the number of overnight stays by the resident population”, which “allows the size of the affected towns and villages to be taken into account.”

Zermatt, Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald most affected by tourists

Valais, the Bernese Oberland, Graubünden and Lucerne were found to be the areas most impacted by overtourism. In particular, Zermatt (269) has the highest level of tourism intensity. In 2024, there were 1,6 million overnight stays recorded in the town which is home to just 6.000 residents.

Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald were two other Swiss towns that scored especially high with tourism intensities of 215 and 210, respectively.

While tourism can often benefit the economy, it can also take its toll on local residents by affecting the housing market, public transport and the cost of living. Some Swiss cities are implementing measures to manage tourism, such as in Lucerne where parking fees were imposed on tourist coaches in 2024.

Swiss towns most impacted by overtourism

According to data from the FSO and analysis by Watson, these are the towns in Switzerland with the highest tourism intensity (number of tourists per resident):

1. Zermatt (269)
2. Lauterbrunnen (215)
3. Grindelwald (210)
4. Samnaun (210)
5. Morschach (198)
6. Pontresina (184)
7. St. Mortiz (154)
8. Leukerbad (144)
9. Saas-Fee (144) 
10. Interlaken (142)