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Due to the lack of snow, alternative activities are coming into focus in the ski areas, as here in Flumserberg.
“Destinations at medium and low altitudes must further reduce their dependency on snow sports,” explains Nicolo Paganini (56), President of the Swiss Tourism Association (STV). “For the railways that are now standing still, an uncomplicated short-time work scheme is needed,” demands Paganini. It is now a question of overcoming the bottleneck.
Negotiations on short-time work are underway, according to Switzerland’s top tourism expert. Until there is a tailor-made short-time work regulation for the ski areas, the mountain areas do not want to remain idle. “Our holiday resorts are innovative,” Paganini is convinced.
Splügen ski area is closed to: “I’ve never experienced anything like this in my career”(07:12)
The sporting goods seller offers dance classes
Various ski areas are forced to offer alternatives to snow sports. Flumserberg SG launched holiday specials at Christmas. They are included in the cable car ticket. There are dance, yoga and Pilates classes, for example. “We organized, communicated and implemented these special offers within three days,” says Katja Wildhaber (41) from Bergbahnen Flumserberg.
The staff must also be flexible. An employee who normally takes care of the technical snow now offers alpaca trekking. A branch manager of a sports shop organizes Discofox dance courses. “Fortunately, our guests accepted the special offers well,” says Wildhaber.
However, they cannot fully compensate for the lack of snow. Wildhaber doesn’t want to take stock until Easter. It is already clear, however, that the numbers are falling short of expectations: on the previous peak day, 7,000 guests came to Flumserberg, in other years it was 11,000.
«We have many specials»: This is how Flumserberg reacts to the lack of snow(01:52)
Summer offer in winter
Antoine Micheloud (44), Director of Tourism in the Gruyères-Moléson FR region, is relaxed about the rest of the winter: “We now generate 70 percent of our business in the summer.” The slopes are closed, but the mountain railways are open in summer mode. Means: “We are currently advertising summer activities such as hiking or summer tobogganing.” The guest demand is around 30 percent of what is usual for normal skiing with sunshine. But that’s enough to cover the costs. Despite reduced operations, all jobs can be retained. According to Micheloud, the Moléson is no longer dependent on skis: “If there is a good winter, there is a profit, without a good winter we can make ends meet.”
However, Micheloud does not want to do without the ski business entirely. “VW cannot switch completely to electric cars overnight either,” he compares.
Berger from Switzerland Tourism: “Mountain destinations have expanded alternative offers”(02:09)
Electricity prices worse than lack of snow
Andres Lietha (57), Director of Engelberg-Titlis Tourism, is counting on the situation easing. “If the temperatures stay as high as they have been in the last two weeks, it won’t be easy for us either – but we don’t expect that to happen.” In addition, the holidays went “surprisingly well”. On December 28, Engelberg recorded as many guests as before the pandemic. Since the season lasts from mid-October to mid-May, Engelberg is also not so dependent on the public holidays.
Now Lietha expects a good sports holiday business. Also thanks to returning foreign guests: “Above all from Scandinavia, Germany and Benelux, but also from the distant markets.”
Roger Geissberger (62), hotelier and vice president of the tourism association in Bellwald VS, doesn’t want to complain either: all the beds in Bellwald were occupied over the holidays. While conditions were good in the mountains, thanks to early snowmaking and the cold November, it was possible to ski down to the village at 1650 meters with good conditions. Although Bellwald again recorded significantly fewer tourists in summer than in the record years 2020/2021, Geissberger is confident about the winter business for years to come due to the high location. “The rising electricity prices are causing us more concern than the amount of snow.”