Since Roger Federer became the brand ambassador for Switzerland Tourism, Switzerland has seen a huge increase in tourism. And that is now causing dissatisfaction among the Swiss!
Since 2021, the tennis legend has been working with the marketing organization to promote tourism in the country. The summer of 2025 was the most successful of all time, with over 25 million overnight stays recorded between May and October.
Hordes of tourists from all over the world come to Switzerland
A recent promotional video featuring Federer and Hollywood star Halle Berry, shot by Swiss director Marc Forster, was viewed more than 125 million times worldwide – twice as many as last year’s campaign.
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Many cities and communities are fighting the negative consequences of so-called overtourism. In Grindelwald, residents would like a break between the summer and winter high seasons. “People are surrounded by mountains of rubbish and traffic chaos,” reports “blick.ch”. In Lauterbrunnen, the popular Staubbach Falls is causing problems. Iseltwald and the picturesque river valleys of the Ticino Maggia and Verzasca are also crowded.
Overloaded by mass tourism
Not everyone is enthusiastic about the tourism strategy. SP National Councilor David Roth denounces the negative consequences on the environment and infrastructure in Switzerland. He explained to “blick.ch”: “Is state-subsidized tourism advertising compatible with the sustainability goals?” And further: “Does it really make sense to use an expensive advertising campaign to attract tourists from all over the world to Switzerland?”
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Switzerland is experiencing a tourism boom due to the Federer effect, which is bringing additional visitors to many communities, but also overloading them in some cases.
This article was partly created with computer assistance and was carefully checked by the editorial team before publication.
