Geneva, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Ski resorts across Switzerland have been opened one after another, and ski enthusiasts and tourists from all over the world have flocked to famous ski resorts such as Zermatt, Jungfraujoch and Wengen, and the annual ice and snow season has once again brought a strong boost to Switzerland's economic development.
Switzerland is home to a number of natural ski resorts, most of which are located not far from populated cities. Among them, there are places such as Jungfrau that have ultra-long slopes that require advanced skiing skills, as well as a large number of lesser-known but more accessible small ski resorts that can meet the needs of different people. Since December, some of the trails that have opened earlier have attracted a large number of skiers to queue up, and in some places, the trains connecting to the resorts are full of young people with shoulder-mounted snowboards and sleds until 8 or 9 p.m.
Mountains make up more than half of the country's land area, and more than a third of the Swiss people ski regularly. According to 2022 data, the revenue of Swiss ice and snow tourism is about 8 billion US dollars (about 57 billion yuan), and the ice and snow industry is an important part of the Swiss economy. There are two main business models for ski resorts in the Swiss mountains, one is to provide ski services only, and the income is limited to the cost of cable cars and ski equipment rental, as well as a small amount of training, catering and accommodation, and the other is to focus on skiing, driving the development of related tourism industries and creating a comprehensive ice and snow industry, and the overall price varies with the fame of the scenic spot.
When the reporter recently visited Zermatt in the southern Swiss Alps, he found that although the snow resort had just opened, there was already a hot scene of tourists. Because the nearby Matterhorn is like a "holy mountain" for skiing in Western culture, many European and American tourists take skiing on the Matterhorn as the ultimate goal of winter tourism, so the small town of Zermatt has become a landmark tourist attraction.
In the 2017-2018 financial year, Zermatt had a record number of 2,216,000 visitors, 60% of whom came from outside Switzerland. Zermatt is a town with fewer than 6,000 residents, but with a total of nearly 13,000 beds, and more than half of the town's houses are hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs. In the winter of the peak season, it is very difficult to find a bed here for less than 200 Swiss francs (about 1,635 yuan) a day. However, the pandemic has had a huge impact on Zermatt's tourism industry, with the number of tourists falling by a third, and the tourism industry is now recovering.
Walking along the paths of Zermatt, you will find that there are basically two types of tourists here. On the one hand, there are skiers who carry snowboards and snowshoes and go straight to the gondola, while the other group is ordinary tourists, who are dressed up and wander through the bars, restaurants and souvenir shops of the town. The unique landform and unique natural scenery make it possible for different tourists to find their own fun here. With a cup of coffee in hand, sitting on a bench on the side of the street, enjoying the surrounding towering snow-capped mountains, from time to time a cloud drifts by, bringing snowflakes to the sky, which is no less than a kind of artistic conception of skiing experience.
Sala Maria, manager of the hotel in Zermatt du For, says: "Most of our guests come to ski, but there are also many who come to experience the beauty and food. Winter is certainly the peak time for crowds, especially the Christmas and New Year holidays in December, which last until March. We don't have a lot of leisure in the summer, and there are a lot of tourists in July and August. ”
According to Salamaria, Zermatt doesn't need to spend any effort on publicity, because the fame is so great that they don't have a shortage of tourists. Skiing is the heart of the area, and many other tourism projects have been developed such as hiking, cycling, paragliding, skydiving, and helicopters. Every year, the Zermatt Tourist Office also organizes concerts, performances, world ski competitions and hundreds of events that attract people from all over the world. Mont Blanc and Jungfrau also use skiing as a medium to attract tourists to diversify their consumption, thereby driving the vigorous development of related industries.
Xue Xindi from Shanghai is a ski enthusiast, and compared with the Xinjiang Altay Snow Resort that he often goes to in China, Xue Xindi feels that the difference between the domestic ski resort and Zermatt is mainly in the price and environment. He said: "I think the biggest difference may be the hotel, the hotel here is really expensive, but the quality is very good, including the lake pool, the snow mountain SPA are good." Skiing facilities are also well equipped and the view is great. The overall price in China is cheaper. I've never been here, so come here and open my eyes. ”
With the exception of a few small ski resorts, snow and ice-related industries are developed throughout Switzerland according to local characteristics, so every winter is a good opportunity for Swiss economic growth. For example, in the small town of Wengen near Interlaken in central Switzerland, a hilltop town that cannot be driven by car and can only be reached by train, it hosts an FIS competition every year. This small town with a population of just over 1,000 attracts 40,000 or 50,000 spectators every time it is held. After watching the game, they party all night in town. Chur in eastern Switzerland hosts the annual Big Air World Cup, and the Chur Festival has grown far beyond the competition itself.
There is a saying in the Swiss tourism industry that for every 1 Swiss franc spent on skiing, 6 Swiss francs were spent on the surrounding area. Young Swiss people go skiing in the mountains, not only with snowboards, but also with speakers. Sometimes it doesn't matter if you ski or not, it's important to stand in the snow and sing and dance with a beer in your hand. Snow is the link that connects people, it connects great business potential, and it connects a different way of life.