Climate 'exodus' to Swiss mountains as heatwaves drive tourism shifts

Many tourists are heading for the mountains in search of cooler temperatures as heatwaves become more frequent due to climate change. This shift is altering tourism habits, with Swiss tourism seeing positive returns, particularly in alpine regions.

Corinne Genoud, a management board member at Switzerland Tourism, observed a "climate exodus" towards cooler mountain and mid-mountain areas. The Jura region, with its forests and lakes, is also attracting visitors. This trend is reflected in the numbers from Swiss cable cars, which reported a 7% increase in passengers from the start of the season until the end of July compared to the previous year. This figure rises to a 29% increase when compared to the average of the last five years.

Scientists note that this summer could be the coldest of the rest of our lives, a prospect that could significantly disrupt daily life, including tourism patterns. The observed movement towards higher altitudes suggests a proactive response to the changing climate, with people actively seeking environments that offer respite from the heat.

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We see a form of climate exodus towards cooler regions, mountain or mid-mountain, but also in the Jura Arc where large forests and lakes attract customers.