Tourism professionals demand short-time work and innovation on the mountain

“Destinations at medium and low altitudes should further reduce their dependence on snow sports,” explains Nicolo Paganini, 56, President of the Swiss Tourism Association (STV). “There is a need for an uncomplicated short-term work plan for standing railways at the moment,” says Paganini. Now it’s about overcoming the bottleneck.

According to Switzerland’s top tourism expert, negotiations on short work are ongoing. Mountainous areas do not want to be idle until the special short-run regulation for ski areas comes. “Our resorts are innovative,” Paganini was convinced.

Sporting goods salesman gives dance lessons

Various ski areas are struggling to offer an alternative to snow sports. Flumserberg SG launches holiday specials at Christmas. It is included in the cable car ticket. For example, there are dance, yoga and pilates classes. “We organized, communicated and implemented these special offers within three days,” says Katja Wildhaber (41) of Bergbahnen Flumserberg.

Staff should also be flexible. An employee who normally deals with technical profit now offers alpaca trekking. Discofox, the branch manager of a sports store, organizes dance classes. “Fortunately, our guests have welcomed the special offers,” says Wildhaber.

But they cannot fully compensate for the lack of profit. Wildhaber doesn’t want to assess the situation until Easter. However, the numbers are already below expectations: 7,000 guests arrived in Flumserberg on the previous busy day, up from 11,000 in other years.

Summer opportunity in winter

Antoine Micheloud, 44, Director of Tourism for the Federal District of Gruyères-Moléson, is comfortable with the rest of the winter: “We now do 70 percent of our work in the summer.” The slopes are closed but the mountain railways are open in summer mode. Meaning: “We are currently advertising summer activities such as hiking or summer sledding.” Guest demand is about 30 percent of normal for sunny and normal skiing. But that’s enough to cover the costs. Despite reduced operations, all jobs can be retained. According to Micheloud, Moléson is no longer dependent on skis: “If there is a good winter, there is snow, without a good winter we can make ends meet.”

However, Micheloud does not want to give up his ski business completely. “VW can’t switch to all-electric cars overnight, either,” he compares.

Electricity prices worse than no profit

Andres Lietha, 57, Tourism Director of Engelberg-Titlis, is confident that the situation will improve. “It won’t be easy for us if the temperatures stay as high as they were in the last two weeks, but we don’t expect that to happen.” Also, the holidays went “surprisingly well”. On December 28, Engelberg registered as many guests as before the pandemic. Engelberg is also not so dependent on public holidays, as the season runs from mid-October to mid-May.

Now Lietha is waiting for a good sports holiday job. Also thanks to the returning foreign guests: “First of all from Scandinavia, Germany and the Benelux, but also from distant markets.”

Hotel operator and vice president of the tourism association at Bellwald VS, Roger Geissberger (62), also does not want to complain: All beds at Bellwald were occupied during the holiday. While the conditions were good in the mountains, thanks to the early snowfall and the cold of November, it was possible to go down to the village at 1650 meters by skiing in good conditions. Although Bellwald records significantly fewer tourists in the summer than in the record years 2020/2021, Geissberger is counting on its winter business in the coming years due to its elevated position. Rising electricity prices worry us more than profits.”