Hot summer lifts Swiss mountain railway visits by 8%

Swiss mountain railways recorded 8 percent more first-time visits this summer than a year earlier, as hot, dry weather drew people to cooler mountain destinations, SRF reported. The figures cover more than 140 member companies from May to October, according to the industry association Seilbahnen Schweiz.

Growth varied by region. The Bernese Oberland led with a 26 percent increase, partly because the Schilthornbahn had operated with restrictions the previous year. Graubünden was up 9 percent, while the Vaud and Fribourg Alps each rose 7 percent. Central Switzerland and eastern Switzerland each gained 5 percent. In eastern Switzerland, the Säntis cable car’s closure weighed on the overall result.

Valais recorded a 1 percent increase, while Ticino was unchanged. Seilbahnen Schweiz said the result was particularly positive because key customer groups from Asia stayed away from the Swiss mountains due to the crisis in the Middle East.

Results also differed by company size and altitude. First-time visits rose 13 percent at small companies with transport revenue of up to 2 million francs and 10 percent at large companies with revenue above 10 million francs. Medium-sized companies were almost unchanged, with a 0.5 percent increase. Railways at elevations of 1,000 to 2,000 metres recorded the strongest growth, at 12 percent.