Pressure mounts for stricter controls on adventure sports
The Swiss Association of Mountain Guides has called for more stringent controls for companies offering extreme sporting activities. The call comes after 22 people were killed in two accidents, which occurred less than a year apart.
The Association of Mountain Guides warned that some companies providing adventure sports were failing to meet adequate safety standards.
It said companies wanting to offer such sports should be subject to stringent safety regulations – including training for guides – and that a licensing system should be introduced to ensure high standards were maintained.
The call comes after two fatal accidents in the Bernese Oberland involving a company specialising in extreme sports.
Earlier this month, an American tourist was killed while bungy jumping. An investigation revealed he’d been given the wrong length of rope.
His death came just ten months after 21 people drowned during a canyoning expedition near the resort of Interlaken.
The Association of Mountain Guides said action needed to be taken urgently, both for safety reasons and to protect Switzerland’s reputation as a tourist destination.
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