Skiing and snowboarding fans are expected to flock to the Swiss Alps this weekend to take advantage of the early snow and cold temperatures.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/sb
Around a dozen mountain resorts out of 200 are reported open across Switzerland this weekend. Davos and Arosa in the south-east of the country will open their lifts, as well as Andermatt and Engelberg in central Switzerland, and Adelboden-Elsigenalp-Metsch and Grindelwald-Wengen in the Bernese Oberland, according to Switzerland Tourism.
They will join the Four Valleys (Verbier, Nendaz, Veysonnaz, Thyon, La Tsoumaz and Bruson), Saas-Fee and Zermatt in canton Valais, and Diavolezza-Lagalb in canton Graubünden, and the Glacier 3000 region (Les Diablerets-Gstaad) between cantons Bern and Vaud, which opened – or partially opened – last weekend.
“It’s an early start to the season, but not a record,” Andreas Keller, spokesperson for the Swiss Ski Lift Association, told Keystone-SDA.
Conditions vary considerably from resort to resort. In recent years, snow has been plentiful early in the season and at low altitudes; this year there have been big snowfalls at altitude, said Keller.
Switzerland Tourism welcomes the early snow which “quickly attracts lots of visitors”, said tourism official Christoph Zwaan.
The organisation is optimistic about the upcoming winter season. It predicts a small increase in the number of overnight stays (+2.3%) and day passes (+1%), based on forecasts by the KOF Swiss Economic Institute and figures from last year. The 2018-2019 winter season saw the largest number of skiers on Swiss slopes since 2010-2011.
However, Christmas and New Year remain the most critical holiday periods for the tourism and hotel sectors, representing 25% of annual turnover, Keller said.
Related Stories
Popular Stories
More
International Geneva
A Geneva-based global health foundation came close to ‘collapse’. Where were regulators?
Principle of non-violent parenting enshrined in Swiss law
This content was published on
Parents must bring up children without the use of violence. This principle is now explicitly enshrined in the Swiss Civil Code.
Swiss Senate wants to boost higher vocational training
This content was published on
The Swiss Senate has adopted a government proposal to improve the attractiveness of higher vocational education and training
Man who drove into Swiss pro-Palestine demo released
This content was published on
The motorist who forced his way through a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Lausanne on Saturday was released on Monday. He had not acted for political or ideological reasons.
German financial fraudster sent to prison by Swiss court
This content was published on
The financier Florian Homm has been sentenced to six years and seven months in prison without probation. He was found guilty of commercial fraud, serious money laundering and forgery of documents.
This content was published on
Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis is buying in the United States. The biopharmaceutical company Tourmaline Bio is to be acquired for around $1.4 billion (CHF1.1 billion).
Swiss Senate rejects sanctions against Israeli settlers
This content was published on
The Swiss Senate has rejected a call for Switzerland to join the EU’s sanctions against violent Israeli settlers. The majority also did not want an end to military cooperation with Israel.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss resort village Zermatt resists daytime tourism
This content was published on
Large groups that want to soak in the charms of this village at the foot of the emblematic Matterhorn within a few hours – without even stopping to eat – are the problem. Local authorities downplay these concerns but are already taking steps to avoid bottlenecks in traffic. “The most popular vantage point for photography was…
This content was published on
Grindelwald was the first thermal spa town in the Bernese Oberland region to open up to winter tourism at the end of the 19th century.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.