Tourist tax in Gstaad-Rougemont: the owner's guide

Two tourist tax systems in a single valley

In most Alpine destinations, the tourist tax is a dull but simple subject: one regulation, one counter, one form. In Gstaad-Rougemont the question doubles, because the tourist destination straddles a cantonal border. Gstaad, Saanen, Schönried and Saanenmöser belong to the canton of Bern; Rougemont belongs to the canton of Vaud. Two cantonal legal systems, two collection mechanisms, two timetables, two points of contact - and two different guest cards to hand your travellers.

For an owner, this duality is the region's leading source of administrative surprises. A chalet in Rougemont and an apartment in Schönried are not declared in the same place, under the same rules, or necessarily on the same rhythm. We set out the full legal framework applicable on both sides on our page dedicated to short-term rental regulations in Gstaad-Rougemont; this page focuses on the tourism levy side, the one you collect, declare and remit for every stay.

The Bern side: three tiers of tourism levies

The canton of Bern itself describes a three-tier structure, and it is worth understanding rather than lumping everything together under the words "tourist tax". First tier, the accommodation levy (Beherbergungsabgabe): it is cantonal, amounts to one franc per night for every person over 16, and its proceeds go entirely to the tourist destinations, mainly for marketing measures. It expressly covers hotels, guesthouses, group accommodation and campsites, but also holiday apartments and private rooms - in other words, your property.

Second tier, the tourist tax (Kurtaxe) proper: municipalities with a high share of tourism may levy it, and the proceeds fund facilities and events in the interest of guests. Two cantonal points matter for a second home owner: a compulsory flat rate may be provided for holiday apartments, and collection strictly requires a municipal regulation. In other words, the applicable amount is not to be found in a cantonal law: it is found in the regulation of the municipality of Saanen currently in force.

Third tier, the tourism promotion levy (Tourismusförderungsabgabe), which targets not guests but businesses and self-employed people who derive substantial benefit from tourism, likewise on the basis of a municipal regulation. An owner running a property in a very professional manner would do well to know that this third tier exists and to check whether it applies.

In practice, for Gstaad and Saanen the arrangement is clear: the tourist tax is levied on the basis of the regulations of the municipalities of Saanen, Lauenen, Gsteig and Zweisimmen, and Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus has been mandated by those municipalities to handle it. Liable are natural persons who spend the night in those municipalities without being resident there for tax purposes. An owner acquiring a chalet or a holiday apartment therefore registers with Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus to set up their statement. Exact amounts, categories and any flat rates appear in the municipal regulation in force: that is where - and only where - they should be looked up.

The Gstaad Card: the tax that becomes a benefit from night one

On the Bern side, what guests get in return is tangible and well designed. Guests staying in accommodation subject to the tourist tax are entitled to the Gstaad Card from the first night. It is free and gives access to a range of benefits and discounted offers across the holiday region. It notably includes public transport within the covered area, between the Saanenland and the Simmental, and can also be used for arrival and departure journeys.

For an owner, this is a free and widely underused selling point. A listing that shows a bare "tourist tax" line and a listing that explains that guests travel free by train and bus from the moment they arrive do not make the same impression, particularly on an international clientele that compares stays on total cost and appreciates not having to hire a car. We systematically build the handover of the card into the arrival journey, alongside the access instructions described on our page on remote check-in in Gstaad-Rougemont.

The Vaud side: Rougemont's municipal regulation and the Easycheck-in platform

In the canton of Vaud, the tourist tax is a municipal competence: there is no single cantonal scale, and two neighbouring municipalities may apply different amounts and exemptions. Rougemont therefore publishes its own regulation, available among its municipal regulations. Another point not to confuse: the municipality deals in the same section with the tourist tax and the second home tax. These are two distinct levies with different calculation bases - one targets your guests' overnight stays, the other the status of your property. Receiving two municipal invoices and understanding only one is a classic mistake.

Practically speaking, the municipality is explicit: hosts must now submit their declarations via the Easycheck-in application of the Pays-d'Enhaut. Separate instruction sheets exist by profile - second home guests, second home owners, professional hosts (hotels, B&Bs, inns, mountain schools, campsites), booking centres and estate agencies. Second home owners receive their personal login by post and generate their tenants' cards themselves on the platform.

A third document deserves reading: the municipality publishes dedicated information on the obligations of owners who list their property on digital platforms. That is a sign the subject is being monitored locally, and that improvisation is no longer an option. A declaration tool also presupposes collecting data from the guest - number of people, ages, exact dates - which many self-managing owners do not request at the time of booking and which is then tedious to chase up.

The Pass d'Enhaut: a Vaud card that also works in the Saanenland

This is one of the rare points where the cantonal border works in your favour, and it deserves a place in your listing. The Pass d'Enhaut applies from the first night in a Pays-d'Enhaut property, and it includes all public transport across the Pays-d'Enhaut and the Saanenland: the MOB train between La Tine and Zweisimmen, regional bus lines, and PostBus services departing from Gstaad. A guest staying in Rougemont can therefore travel up to Gstaad, Saanen or Schönried on their card, with no extra ticket.

The Pass exists in a winter version (1 November to 30 April) and a summer version (1 May to 31 October), and also gives preferential rates on leisure, cultural and sporting activities in the valley. For guests on a stay, it is active from the day of arrival until early morning on the day of departure; it is issued digitally, sent by email before arrival and can be saved in a phone wallet.

The result: whichever side of the valley your property sits on, your guests hold a guest card covering public transport across the whole region. That is a strong argument with an international clientele that often arrives by train, and an excellent way to make the tourist tax feel like a service rather than a line of costs.

Platforms: do not count on them to settle everything

Many owners assume the platform they list on handles the tax. The reality is a good deal more nuanced, and doubly so here, since two regimes coexist. Depending on the platform, the booking channel and the exact configuration of the listing, the tax may be collected by the platform, invoiced separately to the guest, or left entirely to you. What applies to one property may not apply to the other, and what applied last season may have changed.

Above all, as soon as a booking comes in directly - by email, by recommendation, from a loyal guest returning every year, which is extremely common in the Saanenland - or through a channel that does not handle the tax, you remain liable to the municipality. The classic error is to assume "the platform takes care of it" and then have to settle arrears during an audit or an annual statement. For every listing we manage, we document what is actually collected channel by channel, charge the difference where needed and keep the statement up to date.

What our concierge service automates for you, on both sides

For the properties we manage in Gstaad-Rougemont, the tourist tax leaves your mind. We collect guest data at the time of booking, declare the nights in the system matching the property's canton - Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus on the Bern side, Easycheck-in on the Vaud side - check the invoices and ensure the remittance is made on time. We also pass on the Gstaad Card or the Pass d'Enhaut to your guests, together with an explanation of the benefits attached, which measurably improves the arrival experience.

Every report details the nights declared and the tax remitted, property by property and canton by canton: you have full traceability in the event of an audit. And if your situation mixes personal use, hosting family and paid rental - a very common case for a high-end second home - we help you cleanly separate what falls under each regime. All of it sits within our full rental management service, charged at 25% of the net amount collected after deduction of platform fees, transaction fees and cleaning.

Further reading