The strategy aims to make the country the world’s most sustainable travel destination

Switzerland is one country that has been blessed with some of nature’s most beautiful creations — from its turquoise lakes, stunning mountains, abundant flora and fauna to its clean, pure air — making it one of the world’s most famous and aspirational tourist destinations. In keeping up with the needs of today’s traveller for authenticity, proximity to nature and considerate consumption, Switzerland Tourism has launched a new Swisstainable sustainability strategy, with an aim to make the country the world’s most sustainable travel destination.

This new programme covers the entire Swiss tourism industry and is for anyone and everyone, locals included, looking for sustainable options while travelling within the country. Sustainability has been an intrinsic part of Switzerland for decades. The Swiss famously lead low waste/ sustainable lifestyles, sharing a common passion for household recycling, choosing public transport over private vehicles and a great love for the outdoors.

SBB (Swiss Federal Railways), the country’s biggest transport company, generates 90 per cent of its electricity for its trains from hydropower. Staubern cableway- the world’s first battery-powered cableway that leads to the summit, relies exclusively on solar energy. The e-bus by PostBus in Interlaken, allows travellers to explore the city comfortably. To charge its battery, the PostBus relies entirely on renewable energy and falls back on the natural resource of hydroelectric power. The charming town of Zermatt, most famous for being the home to Matterhorn peak, is a complete car free town and is only accessible by train or on foot.

Not just this, Switzerland is packed with surprises when it comes to the range of planet-friendly, sustainable experiences that can all be booked in advance. Switzerland encourages exploring the country on foot and offers countless hiking opportunities, from family-friendly one-day hikes in Switzerland’s National Park to treks that last days. There are also more than 12,000 kms of standardised, sign-posted cycling routes throughout Switzerland. With easy rentals and inter-connected railways, one can always mix and match a bike experience with public transport to cover every nook and cranny of this beautiful country.

Switzerland is known for its world-class cuisine and hospitality. What many people don’t know, however, is that Switzerland is also a stronghold of the nature-based, gastronomical experience. A lot of restaurants in the country use seasonal and regional produce to create authentic dishes which bring nature right to the plate in a sustainable way. 

On the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland, trains with panoramic views, take you to all the highlights and sights of Switzerland — from glaciers to lakes, mountains to cities, all year-round. This is especially recommended because an electric car produces 13 times more CO2 than a railway and railway traffic contributes only 0.2% to the total of CO2 emissions of overall traffic! Only pedestrians and bicycles are more ecological than Swiss trains.