Written by Jon Osterwalder and Lukas Götz, students of the University of Zurich
Switzerland's public transport system is well known for its reliability and frequent connections to remote valleys. There is even a legal obligation that every village with at least 100 residents must be accessible by public transport (Fedlex 2023). Therefore, travelling by car is no longer necessary. Following this, it is not surprising that most of the 14 completely car-free skiing resorts in the Alps are found in Switzerland (Hellmund 2021). The course GEO 361 on sustainable mountain development has helped us to better understand these economic models of sustainability and tourism development. In this blog post we want to draw on the added values and challenges of car-free policies in mountain regions.
Some famous examples of car-free resorts in the Swiss Alps include Zermatt, Wengen or Saas-Fee. Studies highlight how labeling a destination as car-free can significantly enhance its marketability (Hammer & Siegrist 2008). Advertisements often speak of tranquility and more idyllic winter landscapes due to the absence of motorized private transport (e.g. Schweiz Tourismus 2024). Destinations such as these can leverage ideologically charged associations of mountain landscapes with untouched nature by attracting tourists who value sustainability (Cosgrove 1988). Further research supports this view, pointing out that the car-free image can strengthen their branding which contributes to long-term economic stability (Mayer et al. 2010).
Especially in bigger villages such as Zermatt, where not everything is within walking distance, the paradox of traffic chaos in a car-free town has been observed (SRF 2014). Zermatt's mayor concluded that although their guests would appreciate the car-free streets, they still did not want to walk (SRF 2014). As of 2014, around 500 electric vehicles were used to transport tourists and supplies (SRF 2014). This challenge requires careful management because an influx of tourists to car-free resorts can paradoxically overturn the 'slow tourism' values that initially make these destinations appealing (Hammer & Siegrist 2008).
The supply chain is generally one of the difficulties of car-free places. There are several smaller, car-free resorts in Switzerland that are only reachable by cable car, such as Braunwald in the canton of Glarus or the Aletsch-Arena in Valais. There, not only the guests and inhabitants but all supplies and even trash needs to be transported by cable car (Outdoor Welten 2014). This leads to additional costs which could be expected to increase prices of goods in those villages.
In sum, the benefits of car-freedom seem to surpass the challenges and the car-free resorts in Switzerland seem to have had success with their strategy. Many of the resorts have been car-free for decades or have never even been reachable by car. Scientists describe the concept of car-freedom as fitting for seasonal destinations with very variable traffic volumes (Manente et al. 2000), which corresponds to the profile of winter sport resorts. For car-free winter sport, adequate public transport to the touristic regions is fundamental. To encourage non-Swiss tourists to travel to their winter destinations by public transport, connections would have to be convenient also outside Swiss borders (Schad et al. 2008).
References
Cosgrove, D., (1988): The Iconography of Landscape: Essays on the Symbolic Representation, Design and Use of Past Environments. Cambridge University Press.
Fedlex (2023): Die Publikationsplattform des Bundesrechts. Bundesgesetz über die Personenbeförderung. Retrieved 01.12.2024 from https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/2009/680/de
Hammer, T.; Siegrist, D., (2008): Protected areas in the Alps. The success factors of nature-based tourism and the challenge for regional policy. Forest Snow and Landscape Research, 82(1), 17-32.
Hellmund, M., (2021): Autofreies Skifahren–Sind die Wintersportorte in den Alpen für eine Anreise mit dem ÖV und sanfte Mobilität vor Ort geeignet?, Journal für Mobilität und Verkehr (9), 10-20.
Manente, M; Minghetti, V; Celotto, E, (2000): Visitor and mobility management in tourism destinations: A cross analysis of strategies, projects and practices, The Tourist Review (2), 5-19.
Mayer, M.; Müller, M.; Woltering, M., Arnegger, J., & Job, H., (2010): The economic impact of tourism in six German national parks. Landscape and Urban Planning, 97(2), 73-82.
Outdoor Welten, (2014): Aletsch autofrei - Wie funktioniert ein autofreies Skigebiet? Ein Blick hinter die Kulissen. Retrieved 01.12.2024 from OutdoorWelten
Schad, H.; Ohnmacht, T.; Schönhauser, N.; Amstutz, M., (2008): Anbindung Schweizer Tourismusorte mit öffentlichem Verkehr. Situation und Verbesserungsvorschläge entlang der Mobilitätskette, ITW Working Paper Series, Mobilität (3).
Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF), (2014): Verkehrschaos im autofreien Zermatt. Retrieved 01.12.2024 from Bern Freiburg Wallis - Verkehrschaos im autofreien Zermatt - News - SRF