Is Geneva worth including on a short Switzerland trip?
Geneva is worthwhile when it supports a western-Switzerland route, a Lake Geneva stay or an arrival or departure. It is easy to over-weight on a short alpine trip and usually does not belong in a rushed Lucerne–Jungfrau–Zermatt itinerary.
Full answer
Geneva has a strong lake setting, international character and useful transport links, but it is not the automatic Swiss city every short itinerary needs.
The issue is geography and purpose. If the trip is built around Lucerne, the Bernese Oberland and Zermatt, adding Geneva can consume time and money without improving the mountain-led route. It works better when western Switzerland is already part of the plan: Lausanne, Montreux, the Lavaux vineyards, onward travel or a slower stay around the lake.
Include Geneva when its museums, international institutions, lakefront or transport role genuinely matter. Skip it when the only reason is name recognition and the detour weakens the rest of the trip.
For a short first mountain trip, Geneva is often better used as a gateway or saved for a western-Switzerland journey rather than treated as compulsory.