Teaching English to Young Learners - English Teachers Association ...

PERSPECTIVES
Interview with Urs Raschle, Manager,
Zug Tourist Office
On a bright spring afternoon recently, I met
Urs Raschle, Manager of the Zug Tourist
Office, at one of the many lakeside cafés
and restaurants, where we had a view of
the ‘volières’ (birdcages) and the lake
cruisers which have been freshened up for
the new season. Urs found time to talk to
me after a busy day at the Cantonal
Parliament, in which he represents the
interests of ‘his’ tourist office, but also
furthers indirectly the cause and interests
of the international community of Zug. The
ETAS LOC Zug has been working very
closely with local authorities and particularly
the tourist office in order to ensure that SIG
Day on 17th September 2011 will be a day
to remember.
I asked Urs why he thought having SIG
Day in Zug for two, or possibly three, years
running was a good idea. Firstly, he said
that he felt it was an honour for Zug to be
chosen as a venue for such an event and
he would do everything he could to ensure
that visitors would enjoy their trip to this
city. Zug’s central location means that it
is easily accessible from all parts of
Switzerland by rail and road. Travellers by
rail are greeted in the evening with a light
installation by Turrell in the modern railway
station, with its efficient national and local
train and bus connections. Within five
minutes you can be at your hotel or down by
the lake, admiring the famous Zug sunset.
The Zug Tourist Office is located in the main
hall of the station, and the friendly staff are
pleased to help with information, tips, and
brochures on where to stay, how to get
around, and what to do while you are here.
Uniquely in Switzerland, Zug Tourist Office
does not just welcome and help visitors to
the region, but is also very committed to
informing the local population about the
wonders of the Canton and especially to
involving the international community in the
myriad activities and attractions on offer.
The Cantonal Government and the Tourist
Office alike value the presence of the large
international community in Zug and work
closely with the local Men’s and Women’s
Clubs to ensure that everyone feels
welcome, whether they are on a short-stay
secondment or among the growing number
of people like me who come for three years
and stay forever. A new law on integration
is currently going through the consultation
process after being drafted by a broad
cross-section of the population, which
included yours truly as the representative
of the English-speaking community,
exemplifying the commitment to involve
‘us’ on every level. Brochures and leaflets
are available at the Zug Tourist Office in
English on local attractions but also
sports activities, bike trails, and the like,
aimed also at residents. The popular Zug
After 6 events are attractive to visiting
businessmen and women and outgoing
locals alike.
When questioned on why visitors to SIG
Day should come a day early and “make a
weekend of it,” Urs replied that a weekend
in Zug was as enjoyable and relaxing as a
weekend away could be. It is like having a
mini-holiday and being transported to
another world, the moment you walk down
to the Old Town. Zug is small but has every
facility and amenity you could desire: small
specialist shops, galleries, bars, cafés, and
restaurants offering local and international
specialities scattered among ancient
cobble-stoned, traffic-free streets dominated
by the Burg, the medieval castle, and the
astronomical clock tower – and all within a
few minutes’ walking distance of each other.
The local population is used to having
international visitors and residents, even
though Zug is not a traditional tourist town
in the way Lucerne is, and they are helpful,
welcoming, and friendly. It is worth coming
to Zug for the weekend and finding time to
explore and relax. September is an ideal
month for this as it is not too hot but still
pleasant to dine outside or have a drink or
ice cream at a lakeside gelateria. You will
not encounter hordes of tourists with red
umbrellas or cameras but a warm welcome
in a surprisingly Mediterranean atmosphere
north of the Alps.
Helena Lustenberger
ETAS Journal 28/3 Summer 2011 19