INFOS

Why tourist taxes are a win-win

Anyone who spends the night in Adelboden but is not resident there for tax purposes – including hotel guests, holiday home-owners, and long-term tenants, to name a few – must pay tourist taxes. These contributions can be in the form of a flat fee or individual bill – but either way, they benefit guests. After all, the tourist taxes are plowed straight back into tourism in the local area. The income they generate goes toward maintaining tourist facilities, organizing events, or funding local information and reservation services. Below is an overview of the main services that are funded in this way:

Ensuring upkeep of infrastructure

• Adelboden village bus service (free travel with the Adelboden Guest Card)

• Summer hiking trails (approx. 300 km)

• Winter hiking trails (approx. 43 km)

• Mountain-biking trails (approx. 155 km)

• Adelboden local museum

• Sport and leisure center

• Sports facilities, such as tennis courts, the pump track, outdoor fitness trail

• Cross-country skiing trails (discounted access with the Guest Card)

• Gruebi outdoor swimming pool (free entry with the Guest Card)

• Campfire and barbecue sites

• Town beautification projects (flower arrangements, Christmas lights, etc.)

• Rest areas and seating facilities

• Maintenance of the Choleren Gorge

• Snow farming and training center on the TschentenAlp

Supporting or organizing events

• Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup

• Vogellisi Mountain Run

• Swiss Chamber Music Festival

• Vintage car rally and second-hand sale

• Folk-music weekend

• Gauklerfestival (street art festival)

• Classic-car days

• Aabesitze (traffic-free evening gatherings)

• Church concerts

• Swiss National Day celebrations with fireworks or high altitude fires

• Guided village tours

• Winterylüte (festival marking the start of the winter season)

• eBike your Life festival

• Guest aperitif in winter and summer

Providing tourist information

• Brochures, such as the trilingual “Destination Guide”, hiking maps, village map

• Online services, such as the website and Info TV

• Information and services provided by the tourist center over the counter, by phone and by email

• Internal communication via email or TALKnet

• External communication: subscriber newsletter; social media platforms; image and video services for online and print media and radio stations; information for journalists

How the tax is collected

The tourist tax regulation was passed by vote at the Adelboden town meeting of April 29, 2016. The amount of the tax was stipulated in the corresponding ordinance of January 1, 2017 – then readjusted at the beginning of 2019. Currently, the municipality collects the annual flat-rate contributions, while the local tourism body handles individual bills for overnight stays. The tourism body is overseen by the town council and must provide an annual account of how it uses the tax revenues.

How taxes are charged

Since January 1, 2019 the applicable tax rates in the Adelboden municipality have been as follows: