Mountain railways in the Bernese Oberland recorded the strongest growth in Switzerland this summer, reinforcing the region’s shift towards a broader year-round tourism economy.

Mountain railways across Switzerland have reported a strong summer season, but nowhere was the growth more pronounced than in the Bernese Oberland.

From May to the end of September, mountain railways in the region recorded 22 per cent more first entries than in the same period last year, according to industry association Seilbahnen Schweiz. Nationally, the increase was 10 per cent.

The longer-term comparison is even more striking. Across Switzerland, first entries were 28 per cent above the average of the past five years. In the Bernese Oberland, the increase reached 59 per cent, the highest of all regions included in the survey.

The figures point to a wider shift in alpine tourism. Summer operations are becoming increasingly important for mountain railway companies, and the strongest growth was recorded at installations between 1,000 and 2,000 metres above sea level.

Weather played a part. An exceptionally hot and dry summer was followed by a stable and pleasant September, creating favourable conditions for hiking, excursions and other mountain activities.

But Seilbahnen Schweiz says the development cannot be explained by weather alone. Continued investment in leisure experiences, hiking infrastructure and bike offers has also contributed to the longer-term growth.

For destinations such as Gstaad, the figures add weight to an increasingly visible trend: the mountain economy is no longer defined by winter alone. The challenge now is not simply attracting more summer visitors, but managing a season that is becoming more economically important and more intensive in terms of infrastructure, transport, and visitor flows.

That broader question is one GstaadLife will return to in print this winter.

Based on reporting by our sister publication, Anzeiger von Saanen.