New tunnel link attracts more tourists
A new high-speed railway link under the Swiss Alps has generated a massive boost to tourism in the southwestern Valais region.
The local tourist board said the number of passengers travelling through the 35km Lötschberg tunnel had increased by about 30 per cent in the past three months.
Up to 20,000 passengers travel to Valais at weekends, and some mountain lift and railway companies recorded a 60 per cent increase in passenger numbers, according to officials.
They called for a two-tunnel system to be built through the Lötschberg to deal with growing international rail traffic passing through Switzerland.
The authorities say more than a quarter of people in Valais work in the tourist sector. Valais is a traditional holiday mountain region that includes the resorts of Verbier and Zermatt.
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.