High housing costs are severely straining seasonal workers in Swiss winter tourism destinations, cutting into their earnings and complicating retention efforts, according to a recent study conducted by the University of Lausanne on behalf of the Federal Office for Housing (BWO).
Study Details the Housing Pressures in Winter Resorts
The research, commissioned by the federal office and co-funded by the cantons of Bern, Vaud, and Valais, examined the residential conditions of seasonal workers across four prominent winter destinations: Adelboden, Leysin, Saas-Fee, and Villars-sur-Ollon. According to the findings, which are based on 95 interviews including 84 with seasonal staff, high rent relative to income stands out as the primary hurdle. These steep costs directly limit a worker’s ability to save money during a season and can ultimately discourage them from returning to the same destination in subsequent years.
Key Demands: Location, Function, and Flexibility
Beyond affordability, the study highlights location and functional space as critical factors for seasonal employees. Workers consistently prioritize accommodations close to their workplaces and essential services. Short commutes minimize daily travel expenses and simplify logistics during heavy winter weather and irregular shifts. In terms of amenities, staff members look less for luxury and more for practical standards—clean, reasonably sized, and functional rooms that offer a baseline level of privacy, particularly in shared housing arrangements. Furthermore, workers face logistical hurdles because their housing contracts and employment agreements frequently do not align temporally, generating extra costs. Consequently, respondents called for more flexible lease start and end dates alongside options to re-book identical lodgings for future seasons.
Local Solutions and Divergent Regional Pressures
The severity of the housing shortage varies significantly from one resort to another, shaped by factors such as overall housing inventory, price levels, secondary home quotas, and regional transit connectivity. According to the BWO, local workshops and national exchanges demonstrate that a single, nationwide remedy does not exist. Instead, employers, local municipalities, cantonal authorities, and tourism organizations must coordinate to build tailored housing frameworks suited to each destination’s distinct landscape.
