Zermatt Magazin 2017

Zermatt Bergbahnen | Zermatt Magazin 81
current building project of the 3S
ropeway from Trockener Steg to Klein
Matterhorn?
Probably the most important thing
is the connection to Italy. It will
be much easier for skiers to cross
the border in both directions. At
the same time the year-round operation
of the new lift will improve
our summer visitor figures. The
next big step after that is to create a
connection from Italy to Klein Matterhorn.
Another new lift?
Yes. This will be the missing connection
from Testa Grigia to Klein
Matterhorn. At present Italian summer
visitors are unable to access
Klein Matterhorn. This route,
which will be taken in hand once
the 3S ropeway project has been
completed, will set new standards
for summer business.
Does this require reciprocal
measures on the other side?
Already discussed and agreed.
Our investment will be made in
tandem with the expansion of the
ski area on the Italian side with
the connection of Cervinia/ Valtournenche
to the existing Monte
Rosa ski area. However, this lift,
with its link to Alagna, is purely
for the winter months and will not
feature highly in the summer business.
Highest Alpine
crossing in Europe
How much will the Zermatt/Cervinia/
Valtournenche be expanded in terms
of kilometres?
The existing Monte Rosa ski area
has at least 180 km pistes so the entire
future ski area will be expanded
to around 600 km.
In other words, this connection will
create one of the largest ski areas in
the world?
That’s correct. By building these lift
facilities, people will be able to get
from Zermatt not just to Val d’Aosta
but also to the Piedmontese ski
areas.
Will the two projects be
a joint enterprise?
We have agreed with the Italians
that both projects will be carried
out jointly, which makes sense
strategically and in marketing
terms.
Is there a timetable in
place for this massive step?
Once the 3S ropeway currently
being built from Trockener Steg to
Klein Matterhorn is up and running
we will start work on the new
lift from Testa Griga to Klein Matterhorn.
For their part, the Italians
will build the connection to the
Monte Rosa ski area. The whole
venture requires a solid financial situation.
So you can’t go any higher?
No, building these lifts will give
Zermatt the highest possible Alpine
crossing. This new product will
serve as a USP in the Asian market,
helping Zermatt to feature more often
in the European travel plans of
Asian tourists.
Relief and attraction
What is the significance of the 3S
ropeway Trockener Steg – Klein
Matterhorn and the Testa Grigia –
Klein Matternhorn connections for
Zermatt?
They are hugely important:
In winter as a supplementary re lief
route to strengthen the connection
to Italy and even more important
as a means of making summer tourism
more attractive from both the
Swiss and Italian sides. The developments
are also in line with the
strategic orientation of Zermatt
Bergbahnen AG, which intends to
focus more effort on improving
the summer trade.
What does that mean in figures?
We already generate 25 percent of
our turnover in the summer, and
that trend is rising. In the summer
of 2016 Zermatt Bergbahnen posted
record summer results. We want to
see this trend continue and increase.
What steps are you taking
in this respect?
In order to improve the summer experience,
it is essential to provide
additional attractions and services.
A modern range of services will
turn summer tourism into a growth
area, while winter is already a saturated
market.
How so?
The number of skiers is stagnating.
This is determined by external factors
such as the weather and the
economic situation. We have to be
pleased if we manage to keep the
rate as it is.
One hundred
francs a day to ski!
Are skiers put off by the cost of
the ski passes – 92 francs a day?
Zermatt has the highest ski pass
prices in Europe. If we compare
them at an international level,
however, we see that skiing in North
America is significantly more expensive
than Europe, and even Zermatt,
for a far more limited offer.
Day passes in North America exceed
the 100 dollar mark.
America isn’t Europe though . . .
. . . but it still bears comparison.
Here is an example. A Chinese delegation
visited Zermatt last spring.
They were astonished by Zermatt’s
pricing. In their ski area, 300 km
north of Beijing, with six modest
lifts and 30 km of pistes, the day
pass costs around 85 Swiss francs.
Is it possible to justify the cost of one
hundred francs a day just for skiing?