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Pischa is still more beautiful | A critical commentary

A critical commentary on tourism and mountain railway policy in Davos/Klosters

by Steffen Kruse 01/13/2015
"Switzerland, The Original Winter since 1864, 150 years of winter tourism" can be read on the homepage of myswitzerland.ch. Reason enough for the destination Davos & Klosters and its mountain railroads to adopt this "strong" slogan. However, this slogan is interpreted in such a way that the real pioneering work of that time is exploited and the focus is one-sidedly and exclusively on profit interests.

I have been living in Davos for several years now, observing the general development and exchanging views with guests and locals: Recent developments have prompted me to write a very subjective and slightly exaggerated mountain location report on Davos/Klosters.

Davos/Klosters, the self-declared "Pioneer in Winter Tourism since 1864/65" ... where Pischa was apparently once "no nicer", when not only very well-off families could still afford a vacation in this beautiful region.

There can be no question of appreciation and respect for the old pioneers. On the beautifully designed Pioneers homepage, you won't read a word about any of the destination's ski areas (Pischa, Madrisa, Schatzalp, Rinerhorn) - only Parsenn and Jakobshorn are highlighted, as they are also the most profitable. The latest entry is entirely dedicated to the Überberg Jakobshorn, where the magnificent new gondola now transports 100 people at a time to the middle station. There, they can stand on their feet, as the old lift won't take them all away from there unless they have their hair blown off their heads in the new chairlift without a hood.

The mountain railroads and the destination are happy to receive feedback, as they have created a special web (with very interesting ideas and statements, by the way).

Is the development I have outlined and criticized too one-sided or generalizable? And where is the current pioneering work and the preservation of old values? Is it really best to graze the market and forget to sow new seeds for future generations? Based on the current situation in Davos/Klosters, I will show a development that is certainly not only visible here or in Switzerland in general, but also goes beyond the country's borders.

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I don't really care whether the fur faction or other desired target groups from the high-price segment are on vacation here in Davos, because I only rarely meet them on the mountain. But maybe I will in the future, because the mountain railroads and the Davos/Klosters destination have made it their mission to centralize the ski areas as "The Pioneer", preferably on Parsenn and the much-loved Jakobshorn. Whether the destination has anything to do with it or not, but as "The Pioneer" it would be a completely crazy new approach to look at the added value for guests and locals instead of simply accepting the mountain and lift situation (I'm not talking about the condition of the lifts, that's a different topic). I hold everyone accountable, because everyone is pulling in the same direction, but probably each in their own direction.

The headline says it all: Pischa, the family ski area and the Sonnenberg, will only be partially open this year. It seems to be a case of dying in installments so that we can say next year: It just wasn't worth it, so Pischa will be closed ... Next up will probably be the Rinerhorn ... But that's understandable: why do you need a family mountain if normal families can't afford or don't want to go on vacation to the destination? Well, it's better to close it and build another five-star hotel for the numerous guests on the Champagne Front.

But real pioneering work can also be seen in the guest- and local-friendly solution with the Schatzalp. If you want to go up to the Schatzalp, you have to buy two lift tickets at the same time. If that's not really a coherent innovation and will satisfy armies of guests. Not to mention the fact that there used to be a connecting lift between Parsenn and Schatzalp (which still stands). I certainly don't give lectures at the World Economic Forum (WEF), but in conversation with other mountain and Davos enthusiasts (apparently not a target audience, as no fur wearers), the lack of understanding about this development can be clearly heard.

To be honest: who benefits from the Pischa, a brilliant mountain for families, connoisseurs, tourers, freeriders and events? A mountain with a gondola that bikers would also love in summer ... Not to mention a bike park or other pioneering work... that would probably be too much of a good thing and would possibly overwhelm guests and locals.
With this in mind: build a hotspot for the rich and famous including a helipad on the mountain (the Jakobshorn would be a good choice). This would certainly be a great change for the chic crowd from St. Moritz and a hip way to fly to Davos for a Champus in a helicopter.

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This article has been automatically translated by DeepL with subsequent editing. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors or if the translation has lost its meaning, please write an e-mail to the editors.

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