The weather forecast gives hope to Reto Branschi (64). More snow will fall in the coming days. If others are hoping for a white Christmas, the director of tourism destination Davos Klosters also wants a white World Economic Forum (WEF).
“Snow is very important – for painting too,” Branschi says. Green meadows and forests, brown roofs and gray asphalt: this is not what the world should see when television cameras focus on the Davos GR from next Monday. “Of course we prefer a snow-covered destination,” says the tourism manager.
Usage like before Corona
After a Corona holiday and the postponement of last year’s WEF until late spring, for the first time in three years, the world’s biggest and most important economic and political event is taking place again in January as usual. Tourism is looking forward to it: According to Branschi, the hotels are fully booked, the occupancy rate is back to what it was before Corona. “As a result, DEF generates as much revenue as the time between Christmas and New Years,” he estimates.
However, the prospect of good work is also mixed with anger. One problem is timing – DEF is happening a little earlier than usual this year. This also meant that the preparatory work began right in the middle of the busy time around the holidays.
“Many negative feedback”
Construction began on January 3, when the village was still packed with guests. “That’s why we got a lot of negative feedback from guests and locals,” says Branschi. Companies and organizations are turning the promenade houses into national or themed pavilions, fences are erected, checkpoints are set up. Therefore, the road through the village could not be used normally last week. His conclusion: “It can’t go like this year anymore.”
Davos Landammann Philipp Wilhelm (34) also says that this first week’s capacity opportunities have been exceeded “despite complex traffic coordination”. “We will thoroughly analyze the situation after the event and draw conclusions for future installation time management.”
The WEF has yet to comment on the criticism at Blick’s request. One thing is for sure: when the forum will take place depends on a number of factors. Important foreign holidays also play a role, such as the Chinese New Year, which is celebrated on January 22 this year and is therefore relatively early.
Leah Hartman
Source :Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
