Gstaadlife (News and Lifestyle Magazine of Gstaad)
What concrete effects does climate change have on the tourist destination of Gstaad? The ongoing rise in temperature will significantly worsen the conditions for winter sports operations. At the same time, the summer could become more attractive for guests.
Climate change is manifesting itself in the Saanenland similarly as in the rest of Switzerland: dry, hot summers and warmer winters with more precipitation in the form of rain. For Gstaad as a tourist destination, these scenarios could have a negative impact specifically on the winter season, during which the majority of revenues are generated from tourism.
More precipitation, less snow
As in the whole of Switzerland, winters with higher precipitation are also expected here. At the same time, the zero-degree line is expected to rise from 850 to 1250 up until 1500 metres by mid-century, according to the National Center for Climate Services (NCCS). For Gstaad, this would mean that around half of the ski resort could expect more days of fresh snow – right?
