The tiny Swiss village of Albinen is offering 25,000 Swiss francs ($35,000) to young people who want to settle there in a bid to counter its dwindling population, a problem that is affecting mountain communities across the country.
Villagers voted 71 to 29 in favour of the plan late on Thursday, Swiss newspaper 20 Minuten reported.
They accepted the idea despite being overwhelmed in recent days by an unexpected wave of visitors from Switzerland and abroad inquiring about the planned offer that had been publicised by media.
According to authorities in the mountain village, which has a population of 250, a group from neighbouring Italy even arrived with suitcases, expecting to receive €25,000.
But the offer comes with strings attached.
New settlers must be younger than 45, they need to buy or build a home for at least 200,000 francs, and they must stay for at least a decade.
Ahead of the vote, mayor Beat Jost warned his fellow villagers that Albinen was on the brink of disappearing.
“We lost a lot in the past 30 years, including our post office and school,” he said.
“In 2018, more than half of our village will be pensioners.”
Other Swiss villages have also offered incentives to tackle the problem of ageing inhabitants and migration to cities, including discounts on building plots or public transportation.
READ MORE
Source link : https://thewest.com.au/travel/europe/shrinking-swiss-village-albinen-will-pay-visitors-to-stay-ng-b88677605z.amp
Author :
Publish date : 2017-11-30 08:00:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
