| History of Tourism |
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The first so-called "tourists" passed through the impoverished hamlet on their way from
Lauterbrunnen over Wengeneralp and Kleine Scheidegg to Grindelwald.
The flow of visitors increased to such an extent, that by 1859 the first simple guest
house was opened in Innerwengen. The popularity of this guest house was such, that it
convinced the local Wengener's this was the start of an era that would promise an improved
standard of living for all the valley inhabitants.
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In the 1880's came the construction of the Wengernalp Mountain Railway - the most up-to-date
form of transport of the day. This then laid the path open for the development of Wengen as
an established summer resort. In the 20 years that followed, more than 30 hotels, totaling
over 2000 beds, were constructed.
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The flourishing hotel industry ensured that in 1910/11
the Wengernalp Railway continued to operate throughout the winter months - thereby
laying the foundation stone for the first winter season in Wengen.
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This futuristic development was unfortunately interrupted by the outbreak of the
First World War. However, the industry was able to recover relatively quickly
from this temporary set-back during the Inter-war years. Already then, private individuals were
beginning to rent out rooms and apartments in their houses.
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As in most other Swiss mountain-resorts in the 1950's, all these developments
led to an unexpected level of prosperity amongst the local population. The ever increasing
demand for accommodation in the area, encouraged greater interest in the further development
of mountain railways, cable-ways and chair-lifts, which then began to appear in the region of
Kleine Scheidegg and Männlichen.
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Over the last 100 years, Wengen - the once sleepy farming village - has grown into a beautiful
holiday resort which has, in every way, been able to maintain its character and charm.
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| Statistics |
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Yearly, some 340 000 overnight stays are recorded of the total 2200 hotel beds on offer in Wengen.
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| 60% of all stays are recorded in winter and 40% in summer. | |
| The visitors to Wengen are of international origin. | |
| 30 % : | Swiss |
| 24 % : | English |
| 15 % : | German |
| 12 % : | French |
| 7 % : | American |
| 4 % : | Dutch |
| 2 % : | Belgian |
| 2 % : | Japanese |
| 4 % : | other countries of the world. |
| Approximately more than 200 000 overnight stays are recorded in holiday apartments and chalets. However, there are no exact figures available on their country of origin. It is estimated that the majority of guests residing in apartments originate from Switzerland and Germany. |
