The municipal authorities of Zermatt, in Valais, are in discussions with tourism officials to charge visitors who only spend one day at the resort a 12-franc fee.

That’s because day-trippers, unlike those who remain in the resort’s hotels or other accommodations for a longer period, don’t pay a ‘tourism tax’, which is typically used to finance local infrastructure and facilities in the community.

The 12-franc fee, if actually implemented, would be allocated to a fund dedicated to the sustainable development of the municipality.

Following the lead of other resorts

Zermatt is not the first or only Swiss resort to consider imposing a fee on tourists.

Another breathtakingly beautiful village, Lauterbrunnen in canton Bern, is planing to charge visitors arriving by car a daily fee of between 5 and 10 francs.

The move is part of efforts to reduce congestion in the small village — made famous as the reported inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ books — as well as to maintain its unique atmosphere and boost the local economy. 

READ ALSO: Stunning Swiss village plans to charge visitors to experience ‘Middle Earth’ 

But there is more

In 2023, the quaint Swiss village of Iseltwald in Bernese Oberland has been forced to limit the number of tourists after fans of a South Korean Netflix hit show flocked to the region in droves. 

While no fees are being charged to enter the community, people who want to take photos on the pier featured in the series must now pay a 5-franc ‘selfie fee.’