Tour operator unpacks: Is the 140 million cable car in Zermatt a fiasco?

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For 80 years people in Zermatt VS have been dreaming of a direct cable car connection to Italy. It is thought that there will be disappointment in the village after the responsible people opened the last part of the 140 million project with a big celebration last summer. As a major tour operator and spokesman for Cervinio AG confirmed to Tamedia newspapers, interest in the new offer is limited.

The tour operator would only take a few bookings from Asia. Cervinio AG cites the lack of awareness of the offer as the reason for this. But on the Zermatt mountain railways they do not want to know anything about it. They are very satisfied with the use of the first operating period.

Luggage handling problems

The goals of the Zermatt mountain railways were ambitious: the opportunity to cross the Alps from the Italian side was intended to attract guests from abroad to Zermatt on European trips. You will enjoy a spectacular gondola ride over the Alps and ideally spend the night in a world-class health resort. Luggage service ensures that travelers do not have to carry heavy suitcases when making multiple changes along the way. But this still doesn’t work as hoped.

Tamedia quotes a letter from the Zermatt mountain railways in December; Accordingly, the problem is the lack of approval from Italian border authorities. The Italian side rejects these allegations. The transportation of luggage was approved by the authorities. Cervinia AG describes the open statements on the part of Zermatt as criminal.

Italians have little interest

Cooperation between two mountain railway companies is not always easy. You think at different speeds, Markus Hasler (64), president of the Zermatt mountain railway, said at the launch last summer. On the one hand, it is a top international destination that is in full swing when it comes to advertising Alpine Crossing. On the other hand, the separated Cervinia AG. A larger tour operator would have failed to negotiate good terms for a package with the Italians, Tamedia newspapers wrote.

Another problem is the unpredictable weather conditions at this altitude. In the worst case, the system could grind to a halt and a tour group with tight schedules could book a pass. But the price may also put some people off: A single trip costs 156 francs in high season. A refund fee of 240 francs must be paid. With half price or general subscription the price is at least lower.

Hasler was expecting several hundred additional guests

The railway has been closed since the beginning of January for extensive overhaul works. A faulty suspension cable only needs to be replaced after a few months of operation. The system is expected to be operational again at the end of March. In the future, revisions should continue during the winter months, but ideally take less time.

Hasler said that the first section of the new cable car from Trockener Steg to the Klein Matterhorn has started promisingly: the number of guests on the Klein Matterhorn, which opened in 2018, has almost doubled since then, with 3,000 visitors arriving in the summer months. . He was expecting a few hundred more guests to arrive from the constant treats. Only the mountain railway management knows how many there actually are. (smt)

Source :Blick