Wengen in Switzerland is seeing an influx of wealthy holidaymakers (Image: Getty)
Plans to capitalise on ’s reputation as a hub for luxury travel have sparked fears that local communities will be edged out by the ultra-wealthy.
The number of five-star hotels in the central European country are growing at a faster rate than any other kind of tourist accommodation, serving an emerging market of visitors from the UK, US and Asia with cash to spare.
Markus Berger, of Switzerland Tourism, said the input of luxury to Switzerland’s economy speaks for itself – with five-star hotel guests making up 28% of the country’s tourism revenue.
Mr Berger told the “The high economic significance justifies a commitment to luxury guests.”
Such a commitment takes the form of lavish up-market hotels, complete with Michelin starred restaurants, luxury spas and sprawling suites with panoramic mountainous views.
: [REPORT]
Wengen is already a popular skiing spot (Image: Getty)
But an affinity for wealthy guests also means an amplification of the usual overtourism complaints – locals priced out of the housing market and infrastructure buckling under the weight of increased footfall.
Monika Bandi, leader of the Tourism Research Unit at Bern University’s Centre for Regional Development, said there was a danger of reaching a “tipping point”, with small Swiss communities “losing their character”.
It’s a concern on the lips of locals in the mountain village of Wengen – which is known around the world for its Lauberhorn ski race – and will also welcome its first five-star “hotel apartment” complex this year.
The project – which has taken advantage of a legal loophole to dodge Switzerland’s rules around empty holiday homes by labelling itself as a hotel – has received formal objections from the Swiss Heritage Society.
Don’t miss… [REPORT] [REPORT] [REPORT]
Spokesman Simon Weiss said it was “unacceptable” that the design – which also includes an underground restaurant and spa – was being designed for rich holidaymakers rather than with local interests at heart.
Villagers in the small community, which has a population of around 1,300, have also criticised the plans, telling Swiss newspapers that the area “is not posh”.
Despite the obvious benefits of feeding into an existing trend of affluent holidaymakers, all parties seem to agree that a balance needs to be struck. The region’s current clientele are a small, familiar group, willing to make the train journey – which is the only way of accessing the resort – year after year.
The respect for the existing community is important to maintain, tourism director Rolf Wegmüller said. “Our guests don’t want to show off what they have,” he added.
“Some families have been coming for generations. The locals know them, and that’s good.”