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Food is something wonderful! When you go on vacation, it's usually the culinary experiences that you talk about at home. We have promised that the offer in Andermatt will expand and improve with development - we now have the best Japanese restaurant in Switzerland and the highest awarded mountain restaurant on mountain Gütsch.
But it doesn't always have to be Michelin stars or GaultMillau points. In Andermatt, everyone can find something to suit their personal preferences.
We hope that this episode will leave many growling stomachs in its wake.
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Sustainability is a major issue and is anchored in the corporate strategy at Andermatt Swiss Alps. With the Andermatt Responsible initiative, we are committed to resource-conserving tourism and are pursuing numerous projects.
In today's podcast, we focus on the electricity from EW Ursern, the heating from the Gotthard heating plant in Göschenen and food waste in the restaurants of Andermatt Swiss Alps and Andermatt-Sedrun Sport AG.
The forest is an important aspect of climate regulation. The Ursern Forest and Climate Association has set itself the goal of reforesting the Ursern Valley. Compared to other mountain valleys in Switzerland, there is very little forest in the Ursern Valley. In addition to memberships or donations, you can also actively support the association with work assignments.
With these and other projects, we are pursuing the goal of being climate-neutral in our operations by 2030.
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Fehlende Folgen?
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Destinations in the mountains often face the challenge of revitalising communities all year round. For the sustainable development of a mountain region, it is important that the interests of tourism and the population converge - a complex issue. The Graubünden University of Applied Sciences is focussing on this topic.
Lena Pescia, lecturer in tourism management at the Institute for Tourism and Leisure, is leading this project. She explains what the term community building means and what they have been able to find out so far in the pilot regions of Andermatt and Bergell.
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A year ago in August, Vail Resorts took over Andermatt-Sedrun Sport AG as the majority shareholder. Over the next few years, around 110 million Swiss francs will be invested in the area. Some of this is already making itself felt this season. The declared aim of all destinations operated by Vail Resorts is to improve the guest experience. Mike Goar, Managing Director of Andermatt-Sedrun Sport AG, explains in this podcast that there are some quick fixes that don't cost that much. However, investments have already been made. Two new catering facilities have been created in Sedrun and on the Gütsch, large LED screens with real-time updates have been installed throughout the area and snowmaking has been optimised throughout the area.
Find out what Mike Goar hopes for this season - for himself and his employees - in this podcast.
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Public transport is scarce, especially in mountain regions. Although Andermatt is easily accessible by train or post bus from all directions, it is more difficult to get there and the service is very limited. If you want to be out and about in the evening, you almost always have to have your own car.
This is why a combined, innovative and emission-free mobility concept, KIMM for short, is being developed in the Andermatt holiday region. Various providers have set themselves the goal of putting together a collective and sustainable mobility service. The project is supported by SECO (State Secretariat for Economic Affairs) and the Albert Köchlin Foundation with around half a million Swiss francs.
The mobility partners are:
mybuxi - a cross between a bus and a taxi
Publibike - bike sharing
Sponti-Car - car sharing
Ummadum - Ride sharing
Schweizerische Südostbahn SOB
And the municipalities from Gurtnellen to Realp.
The project team has set itself the goal that next summer there will be an offer that will enable guests to holiday in the destination of Andermatt without a car and that residents will be able to do without a second car and increasingly also without their first car.
The more collective mobility services can be offered together, the more interesting the offer becomes for users. And then it will also be a real alternative to the car. Do you also have something to contribute? Then get in touch at [email protected].
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"I love a challenge. That’s why it immediately appealed to me when I was contacted about the Andermatt Concert Hall and the plan to set up a year-round season." Lena-Lisa Wüstendörfer is an internationally sought-after conductor and has been the artistic director of the Andermatt Concert Hall since June 2022.
The experience at the Andermatt Concert Hall is unique. Not only is it the first concert hall in an Alpine destination and the highest in Switzerland, but the closeness to the musicians during the concert is an experience that can otherwise only be had at house concerts.
Andermatt Music has started its next season on the weekend of 23 and 24 September. Lena-Lisa Wüstendörfer remains true to her concept: "The three focal points are on the one hand World stage, where world stars come to Andermatt, on the other hand, the Swiss Orchestra which resurrects gems of Swiss symphony music for rediscovery by the audience and thirdly the Local Roots with new folk music from Central Switzerland."
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"We have an initiative at Andermatt Swiss Alps and at Andermatt-Sedrun Sport AG called Andermatt Responsible. As part of this initiative, we have defined goals that we want to achieve by 2030." Carmen Carfora is the sustainability expert at Andermatt Swiss Alps AG and Andermatt-Sedrun Sport AG. Together with the departments concerned, she ensures that the goals set are achieved.
Sustainability encompasses the ecological, social and economic dimensions. Today we are taking a closer look at social sustainability. This includes the employees, their safety and health as well as diversity.
Specifically, we have set the following targets: 35 per cent of jobs must be filled by regional employees and 40 per cent of management positions must be filled by women. We have achieved both of these goals. Christoph Ulrich, Head of Human Resources, already has new ideas for further goals: "It is important for us to be able to keep our employees with us in the long term. Employee satisfaction is linked to this."
We interviewed our employees in this episode. They tell us from their perspective how they assess and experience the different goals.
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"I told Samih Sawiris that the current approach does not get him where he wants to go." Isidor Bauman played a decisive role in the negotiations for the land. Not all landowners were willing to sell their land right away. For Samih Sawiris' investment, however, the golf course was the crucial piece of the puzzle.
One farmer who gave up his farm was Sandro Danioth. "I mainly had leased land. Therefore, I was in a rather passive role, as I didn't know what was going to happen to the around ten hectares of land." When the land was sold, he knew he was going to make a change and was actively involved in the development of the golf course.
After some negotiations, all the land was together. The work of golf course architect Kurt Rossknecht and his team began. "One challenge was the diverse subsoil. Some of it was rocky and in other places there were bogs that went down to six, seven metres." You can hear his thoughts on today's square in this podcast.
Do you have feedback, input or ideas on what topics should be covered in this podcast? Then get in touch at [email protected]. And of course we'd love it if you subscribed and rated the podcast.
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How do time-honoured traditions reconcile with rapid development? And how do the locals deal with it? Andermatt has developed strongly. Over the last 15 years, more than a billion Swiss francs have been invested in Andermatt. New houses, new hotels, new facilities in the ski area, a golf course and above all one thing: guests from all over the world.
We asked around to find out what the times were like. Back then, 15 years ago.
"It looked bleak," says the well-known Bernhard Russi from Andermatt about the time around the turn of the millennium. "With all the people who moved away, we didn't know if we could still handle the municipal expenses".
Old traditions had died out in part because there wasn't enough interest. With the upswing, residents also came back. And with it, life.
"I haven't lived in Andermatt for almost six decades. If this change hadn't happened, I wouldn't have come back." Erich Renner is now a member of the Andermatt municipal council.
New opportunities also arose for the younger generation who moved away because of the lack of work. Elena Danioth now works in the tourism office. "I find it very fulfilling to be a part of the development and to welcome the guests here in our beautiful high valley."
Do you have feedback, input or ideas on what topics should be covered in this podcast? Then get in touch at [email protected]. And of course we'd love it if you subscribed and rated the podcast.
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"The implementation of the Andermatt-Sedrun ski area linkage was unique in Switzerland". Michael Müller, media spokesman for the Federal Office of Transport explains in this podcast how the overall approval procedure differs from others. "We even adapted the law as a result of our good experiences in Andermatt".
Silvio Schmid was CEO of Andermatt-Sedrun Sport AG at the time. He was the interface between the project and operations. Everything ended up going through him. When he received the letter with the approval of the overall concept, he was happy that he could now build one run after the other. "The real work started afterwards, when all the detailed projects had to be discussed, planned and submitted for approval."
The realisation of this linkage was only possible because all parties involved were brought to the same table. This included the environmental organisations. They were represented by Regula Bollier. "It is difficult for me to draw a conclusion. But I think we got the best out of it for nature."
The promise of creating a great ski resort was fulfilled after four years of construction. "I had tears in my eyes when the Schneehüenerstock flyer was inaugurated in 2018," says Silvio Schmid.
Do you have feedback, input or ideas on what topics should be covered in this podcast? Then get in touch at [email protected]. And of course we'd love it if you subscribed and rated the podcast.
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"We were shocked at first by the plans the architects submitted as proposals to the competition." Hany Ayad, who has been responsible for destination development at Orascom Development Holding for over 30 years, was a member of the Andermatt Swiss Alps competition jury and remembers back. Things then worked better on the second go-round.
Some time passed from planning to implementation. For many of the architects, this project was forgotten. This was also the case for Marcel Santer of Ilg Santer Architekten Zurich. "I was a bit surprised when I got a call in spring 2021." Meanwhile, the shell of the Mira apartment building, which Marcel Santer and his team planned over 10 years ago, is completed. Even though it has not been realised exactly as planned at the time, mainly due to changes and advances in the construction industry.
"The needs of the owners have changed. Today we build apartments with more spacious living areas and several bedrooms. After an active day in the mountains, people want space to relax and socialise," knows Vincent Jandowsky, Development Director Real Estate at Andermatt Swiss Alps.
Andermatt Reuss is growing and growing. This year, ten apartment buildings will be under construction. The new squares, shops and restaurants will bring life to this part of the village. As soon as the area between Andermatt Central station and Andermatt Reuss is completed, we will be able to say that Andermatt has grown into a single entity. This will also fulfill the promise that Andermatt will be perceived as one village.
Do you have feedback, input or ideas on what topics should be covered in this podcast? Then get in touch at [email protected]. And of course we'd love it if you subscribed and rated the podcast.
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Samih Sawiris came to Andermatt for the first time in 2005. But why actually? In this interview, the people who were there at the time and who have contributed significantly to the further development of Andermatt provide information: Josef Dittli, Raimund Kunz, Heidi Z'graggen and Samih Sawiris himself.
The fact that his ideas have been crowned with success has a lot to do with Samih Sawiris' attitude: "I think you have to be persistent and think long-term. It has so much to do with luck and not just your own performance. Success only comes when you are in the right place at the right time with the right idea."
This episode is about the promise to develop Andermatt into a year-round destination. But hear for yourself how this promise was kept.
Do you have feedback, input or ideas on what topics should be covered in this podcast? Then get in touch at [email protected]. And of course we'd love it if you subscribed and rated the podcast.
