Adults-only campsite: the idea caused an uproar, but it works
Keystone-SDA
Switzerland’s first campsite reserved exclusively for those aged 16 and over caused an uproar but is now fully booked.
In the middle of the peak holiday season, the owners couldn’t be happier: the “Lazy Rancho” in Unterseen, near tourist hotspot Interlaken, is fully booked and guests are enjoying the newfound peace and quiet, according to Saturday’s edition of Schweiz am Wochenende.
The family business is now run by the third generation – sisters Cheyenne and Virginia Blatter – who decided last year to transform one of the two campsites they own into an ‘adults-only’ area. According to the newspaper, this is a first for Switzerland, and it immediately sparked a wave of controversy, with sensationalist headlines such as “Alpine campsite bans families with children”.
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The sisters received abusive emails, one even containing a death threat, and someone wrote that “they all deserved a blow to the head”. There were also one-star reviews on Google and fake bookings,.
Months later, the outcome has been more than positive: the adults-only campsite is fully booked. “We have absolutely no regrets about what we’ve done, not in the slightest,” says Cheyenne, whilst her sister Virginia adds that “We’d do it again.”
The two owners have found that the atmosphere is much less hostile and conflicts between guests have dropped dramatically. Before, they say, there were constant complaints when children played football, rode their bikes or dived into the pool. “But children need to be allowed to be children,” Cheyenne emphasises. “They need to let off steam. It’s a thousand times better than if they were sitting silently in front of an iPad all day.”
A guest who has been visiting the campsite since 1992 approves of the change: “It’s quieter than before and there are no longer any awkward situations with children running in front of our dog. I’ve got nothing against children, but I do have a problem with parents who let them run riot.” A German man, on holiday with his partner, also appreciates the peace and quiet: “We’re amazed that child-free campsites didn’t already exist in Switzerland. In Germany, they’ve been the norm for a long time.”
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The sisters visited campsites in six countries before launching the new concept. “The most obvious difference was the much more relaxed atmosphere at the ‘adults-only’ sites” and even “that the toilets were cleaner”. Today, bookings mainly come from people seeking relaxation, such as Scandinavian couples who spend their days mountain biking, hiking or paragliding and want a good night’s sleep. “It must be possible to have a retreat where you can leave the van door open at night without being woken by a baby crying.”
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However, the separation between adults and children hasn’t divided the community. Guests from the adults-only area are happy to come to the family campsite to shop at the shop, have an ice cream or cool off in the pool. “They can cope with the hustle and bustle here because they can retreat afterwards. Life here is much more peaceful,” explains Virginia. And Cheyenne concludes: “We’ve managed to defuse the situation: this way, everyone gets what they’re looking for and gets on better with one another.”
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Translated from Italian, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
