Switzerland and the pandemic: in desperate need for tourists

The Swiss tourism industry is worried about its summer season. Tourists from overseas are sorely lacking. The country's mountain summits look deserted, and the coffers appear to be empty on our trip to Engelberg.

A cable car crosses over the last mountain ridge on its journey. At the summit station on Titlis Glacier at 3,000 meters above sea level, a magnificent Alpine panorama lies at its visitors' feet. Even in mid-summer, there's snow making crunchy noises under your shoes.

There's plenty to do here as well: First, you can take a selfie at dizzying heights on the Cliff Walk – Europe's highest-lying suspension bridge, then take a brief look deep into an artificial glacial grotto, experiencing a backto-the-Ice Age moment.

And that's what a trip to the region was like for many tourists from overseas before the pandemic – with many coming from Asia, in particular India. Among the highlights of their tour of Europe was invariably Engelberg's Mount Titlis in central Switzerland.

Frequently used as a backdrop in Bollywood films, it's become better known in Asia than it is in Europe. At onesecond intervals, modern cable cars used to take visitors in hiking gear or in saris to the summit, with up to 5,000 tourists visiting a day.

The worst crisis since World War II

In the summer of 2021, it's all quiet on Mount Titlis. The overseas tourists are lacking – and not only there. Hotels across the country complain that they run at 20% capacity because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It's a historic drop in numbers: "Not since the Second World War have there been so few overnight stays in hotels," says Jörg Krebs from Switzerland Tourism.

At the height of summer in 2021, most of the Titlis cable cars with the Swiss national flag decorating its sides remain empty. "In May and in June, we've normally had cable cars packed with visitors from Asia," says Fabian Appenzeller, sales manager of Titlis Mountain Railways. "This enabled us fill out the usually quieter summer season really well. As a result, our cable cars were working to capacity all year round. We probably won't see productivity levels like those before the pandemic until 2023," Appenzeller explains.

Engelberg reports that it has registered about 50% fewer overnight stays in its hotels in 2020 – and that actually means it's doing comparatively well. The town has been able to compensate at least to some extent for the lack of visitors from overseas.

"We have seen a marked increase in guests from Switzerland, Germany, France and the Benelux countries," explains Andres Lietha, managing director of Engelberg Tourism.

European vacationers to the rescue

Engelberg now wants to increase the options it offers to Swiss visitors and other Europeans, appealing both to families with children and individual tourists seeking to experience closeness with nature. Alpine chalets, climbing parks and charming hotels are now offering complimentary holiday programs in summer and autumn so children can go climb and cycle, experience treasure hunts and explore farms under supervision, while their parents can enjoy their own tourist agendas for a few hours while going hiking or relaxing in a spa.

The operators of the Brunni railways on the other side of the village started focusing on families holidays several years ago already. This strategy is now paying off. On Mount Brunni, a summer toboggan run and Alpine playground have been established. Rock climbing, hiking, paragliding, and tours on e-mountain bikes are all on offer.

And on this side of the valley, they don't just pay lip service

when it comes to sustainability: their cable cars and chair lifts are Switzerland's only carbon-neutral mountain cableway service, receiving their energy supply from the company's own solar power plant.

A sustainable tourism concept

Nicole Eller Risi, director of Engelberg's Valley Museum is convinced that "looking back at the past sharpens our view of the future." The small museum informs visitors about the rise of this once-unsightly mountain village with a monastery at its center, focusing on how it turned into a sophisticated mountain holiday resort.

By the late 19th century, a couple of grand hotels had been built in Engelberg. The village developed into a gathering place for European high society – until

The Mount Titlis Cableway, which was the world's first rotating cable car, offers an all-round view on the trip to the summit