Switzerland wants tourists who know the rules of the place they are visiting, while Hawaii is already introducing a model in which visitors pay part of the price of protecting the area
The Swiss tourism industry is increasingly openly trying to change the way successful tourism is discussed. Instead of focusing attention exclusively on the number of arrivals, overnight stays and guest spending, a new initiative under the message
Travel with care. Leave with memories. puts visitor behavior, the everyday life of the local population and the preservation of natural space in the foreground. It is an approach that at first glance seems mild: tourists are reminded to respect private property, ask before photographing people and children, be considerate in quiet and religious spaces, stay on marked trails, dispose of waste properly and support local small entrepreneurs. But behind such simple messages stands a broader change in global tourism. Popular destinations are increasingly concluding that the guest is not only the buyer of a service, but a temporary user of infrastructure, space, the cultural landscape and the social trust of the community that lives there.
From destination promotion to behavior management
The initiative of Switzerland Tourism does not represent a travel ban or an attempt to discourage visitors. On the contrary, Switzerland continues to build the image of a country accessible by train, recognizable for the Alps, lakes, cities, hiking routes and precisely organized tourism infrastructure. The difference is that tourism promotion is now increasingly linked to expected rules of behavior. Official materials tell visitors that nature is not a backdrop without owners and boundaries, that private gardens are not always fenced, that photographing people requires consent and that on mountain trails one should not leave marked paths because doing so endangers safety, plant and animal life and agricultural land. Within the same framework, the use of reusable bottles, taking away one’s own waste and a more careful attitude toward wild animals are encouraged.
Such vocabulary is not accidental. In many European destinations, from historic city centers to mountain villages, in recent years there has been increasing discussion of overcrowding, short-term rentals, noise, pressure on public transport, the occupation of public spaces and the weakening of the feeling that tourism benefits the local community. For now, the Swiss model is trying to act before dissatisfaction turns into open political conflict. The messages are not formulated as a threat of fines, but as an invitation to enter the unwritten house rules of the destination. In tourism that relies strongly on orderliness, public transport, natural landscapes and a sense of safety, such house rules become part of the very product offered to the guest.
Why acceptance of tourism has become a strategic issue
Swiss documents and sectoral publications increasingly use the term acceptance of tourism. This emphasizes that local support is not guaranteed in itself, even where tourism brings income, jobs and international visibility. Residents of popular destinations do not assess tourism only according to the total earnings of the sector, but according to their own everyday experience: can they move normally through the streets, does public transport function, how much pressure is there on the housing stock, do visitors respect private space and do local people feel that they participate in decisions. In that sense, a tourist who duly pays for accommodation, but leaves waste, blocks passages, makes noise in quiet zones or behaves as if the entire place were scenery for photographs, becomes a political problem for the destination.
That is why the Swiss approach is interesting beyond Switzerland itself. It shows that sustainability is no longer reduced only to the energy efficiency of hotels, recycling or green certificates. Sustainable tourism increasingly includes the relationship between guest and host, the distribution of benefits and burdens, the way public infrastructure is used and the ability of the destination to preserve quality of life. Switzerland’s federal tourism strategy has already placed sustainable development among the goals of public tourism policy, along with improving framework conditions, encouraging entrepreneurship, digitalization and strengthening the attractiveness of the offer. The new campaign follows that logic: the reputation of a destination is preserved not only with beautiful photographs, but also by managing the behavior that those photographs encourage.
A campaign that does not want to sound like a ban
The special feature of the Swiss campaign is its tone. Visitors are not told that they are the problem, but that they are part of the solution. The recommendations are shaped so that they can be understood across linguistic and cultural differences: respect what is private, ask before photographing, do not leave waste, be quiet where silence is expected, support local small shops, markets, farms, craft workshops and restaurants. In practice, this is an attempt to standardize basic tourist courtesy for a global market in which visitors come from different social norms and with different expectations about what is allowed in public space.
According to available information, the messages are spread through multiple travel touchpoints, including airports, airline and railway channels and destination materials. This is important because tourist behavior is most often not the result of a single decision, but of a series of small situations: boarding a train with large luggage, stopping on a narrow trail for a photograph, passing by a private house, staying in a church, walking through a protected area or choosing a restaurant and shop. If a destination wants to influence such habits, the message must arrive before the incident, at the moment when the guest is still orienting themselves and is ready to accept the rules of the space.
Tools for destinations, not only messages for guests
The second part of the Swiss approach is directed at tourism organizations themselves, cities, regions and entrepreneurs. The campaign is not reduced to several slogans for visitors, but includes tools that should help destinations recognize tensions in time and include local stakeholders. This is the key difference between a superficial communication campaign and more serious destination management. If the population complains about crowds, noise or the loss of control over public space, it is not enough to ask tourists to be more polite; it is necessary to understand where pressure is being created, who benefits from tourism, who bears the cost and how decisions are explained to the local community.
The Swiss tourism sector already functions through a strong network of partners. In the strategy of Switzerland Tourism for the period 2025–2027, it is stated that around 1,200 tourism and corporate partners participate in campaigns and strategic collaborations. This network makes it possible for messages about responsible travel not to remain only at the national level, but to be adopted by regions, hotels, transport operators, activity organizers and local service providers. This is precisely what matters for the credibility of the campaign: the guest must recognize the rules in the real experience, not only on a promotional page.
Hawaii shows what a harder model looks like
While Switzerland currently places emphasis on considerate behavior and preventive communication, Hawaii shows how popular destinations can move to a firmer, financially and regulatorily organized model. Hawaii Governor Josh Green in 2025 signed a law introducing the so-called
Green Fee, that is, an increase in the transient accommodations tax by 0.75 percentage points from 2026. According to the governor’s office, the goal is for visitors to participate in financing environmental protection, climate resilience and sustainable tourism, and approximately 100 million dollars in annual revenue is expected. This move is connected with the pressure of almost 10 million annual visitors, climate risks and the experience of the catastrophic fires on Maui in 2023.
The Hawaiian model directly changes the relationship between guest and destination. The visitor no longer receives only an instruction to respect the space, but through a tax participates in the cost of preserving it. Revenues are intended for projects such as protecting natural resources, strengthening infrastructure against climate and other hazards, mitigating the risks of fire and flooding, restoring beaches, maintaining parks and managing destinations. Tourism is thereby treated as a sector that has an ecological and infrastructural footprint, and not only as a source of spending and jobs. The message is clear: if a destination must invest in resilience because of pressure intensified by visitors and climate change, part of that investment should not fall exclusively on residents.
From voluntary courtesy to mandatory contribution
The difference between Switzerland and Hawaii is not only in the strictness of the measures, but in the stage of the tourism response. For now, Switzerland is trying to shape behavior before harder measures are introduced more broadly. Hawaii, after years of debates about tourism, the environment and climate vulnerability, has moved to an instrument with clear fiscal strength. From January 1, 2026, the rate of Hawaii’s transient accommodations tax was increased from 10.25 to 11 percent, while counties can add their own surcharge of up to 3 percent. In public explanations of the measure, it is stated that the burden of protecting beaches, coasts, infrastructure and natural systems cannot be shifted only onto the local population.
Cruise ships are also included in the debate. According to an Associated Press report, federal judge Jill A. Otake rejected a request to stop the implementation of the part of the law related to the tax on cruise passengers, although legal proceedings continue. That part of the regulation provides for the taxation of the gross price of passenger tickets in proportion to the time ships spend in Hawaiian ports. Opponents claim the measure will increase the price of travel and burden tourism companies, while state authorities point out that this form of visit also creates pressure on space and infrastructure. The dispute shows that sustainable tourism is no longer only a marketing topic, but also a legal, tax and political issue.
Regenerative tourism as a new frontier
Hawaii has for years promoted the concept of
Mālama Hawaiʻi, in which visitors are expected not only to reduce harm, but also to contribute in some way to the place they visit. This can include volunteering in environmental restoration, planting native plants, cleaning coasts, preserving cultural spaces or participating in programs that connect tourism with the local community. Within that framework, the concept of sustainability becomes more ambitious: it is not enough for the tourist to leave without a larger trace, but the destination is expected to receive a measurable benefit from tourism for nature, culture and the resilience of the space.
Switzerland does not currently position itself so directly. Its model more closely resembles educating the guest: the guest is taught to understand the boundaries, rhythm and expectations of the destination. Still, the direction is similar. Both destinations send the message that the future of tourism will not be measured only by the number of arrivals. It will be measured by how well tourism fits into the everyday life of the population, how much it protects public goods and how capable it is of financing, or at least not endangering, the infrastructure on which it depends. In that sense, the “perfect tourist” is no longer necessarily the one who spends the most, but the one who spends, moves and photographs in a way that does not leave conflict behind.
What this means for popular destinations
The trend connecting Switzerland and Hawaii is important for all destinations that rely on natural beauty, cultural authenticity and a strong international image. If a destination becomes famous as a place that must be seen at least once in a lifetime, it faces the paradox of its own success. The more visible it is on social networks and tourism platforms, the greater the risk of crowds, superficial consumption of space, conflict with the local population and damage to the very thing that made it attractive in the first place. Because of this, tourism management is increasingly moving from promotion toward selection, guidance and regulation of behavior.
The most important lesson of the Swiss model is that soft measures must be implemented seriously if they are to have an effect. A nicely worded message about consideration means little if the destination does not monitor where crowds arise, if local residents do not feel included and if the economic benefit is not visible outside a narrow circle of tourism actors. The most important lesson of the Hawaiian model is that communication has limits. When pressure on the environment, infrastructure and quality of life becomes too great, destinations begin to seek mandatory mechanisms of financing and management. Tourism then ceases to be only an industry of experiences and becomes part of public policy.
The new rules of travel have already begun
As of April 24, 2026, it is clear that a new standard is taking shape in developed tourism destinations. Visitors are still to be attracted, but not at any cost and not without clear expectations. Switzerland is trying to teach guests to move through its cities, villages, trains, churches, pastures and mountain trails with more consideration. Hawaii is also asking visitors for a financial contribution for the environment, climate resilience and more sustainable destination management. Between these two approaches lies the probable direction of the future: first education, then better tools for local management, and where the pressure becomes too great, clearer rules for paying the real cost of tourism. Destinations that want to remain attractive in the long term will increasingly sell not only the beauty of a place, but the ability to preserve that beauty.
Sources:- Switzerland Tourism – official recommendations of the Travel with care campaign for visitors, behavior in nature and respect for local space (link)- State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO – tourism strategy of the Swiss Confederation and sustainable development goals in tourism policy (link)- Switzerland Tourism – strategy and planning 2025–2027, including the partnership model and the Swisstainable campaign (link)- Office of the Governor of Hawaii – official announcement on the introduction of the Green Fee and expected revenues for climate resilience, environmental protection and sustainable tourism (link)- Hawaiʻi Green Fee Advisory Council – recommendations for using revenues in the first year, investment areas and the process for legislative consideration in 2026 (link)- Associated Press – report on the court decision allowing the implementation of Hawaii’s climate tax on cruise passengers while proceedings continue (link)- Honolulu Civil Beat – context of the adoption of Hawaii’s Green Fee, revenue estimates and reactions from the tourism sector (link)
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