the bitter rivalry between The two mountain railway in the Toggenburg to get the tourists in this year to feel directly. For the first time in 19 years there will be in the upcoming winter season for the neighbouring ski resorts of Wildhaus and the Chäserrugg is not a common Ticket. The connection slopes between the two sides remain closed. The means for the winter athletes: you must remove either two tickets or one of the two destinations decide.
In the conflict of the mountain are tracks Wildhaus AG and the Toggenburg Bergbahnen AG unforgiving. The latter company is a successful athlete sits on the Board of Directors: Simon Ammann, multiple Olympic champion in ski jumping. The trigger of the dispute is that both companies could not agree on a distribution key for the income. Reported to generate both ski resorts a total of around 8 million Swiss francs per winter season.
Is the alone useful?
Fidelity holiday guests RUB its eyes in astonishment: “Many owners of seasonal subscriptions like we have not resolved the card for the new season, as we drove to our ski days, always in the entire area. This is now no longer possible,” says Marcel Lampart. He lives in the Canton of Aargau and spends for six years, the Winter and the summer together with his partner in Wildhaus. He respected tracks the economic independence of the two mountain. But: “Is the alone useful in this case for the wonderful tourist region of Toggenburg?”
The other guests and Locals in the social media. In a Facebook group of over 800 members oppose the separation of the toggenburg mountain railway. “Austria and Liechtenstein is a stone’s throw! As a cottage owner I’m going to have to after 60 years, this option, unfortunately,” writes a Facebook user. Toggenburg tourism shows some understanding for the frustration: “We regret the current Situation,” asserts Max Nadig, President of the organization. He could only point out that “all the cars run and all the runs will be groomed, as usual, top”.
“If the mountain Railways in the coming year to not step on each other, we consider, to bear witness to our apartment.”Marcel Lampart, a holiday guest
The Toggenburg mountain Railways insisting on a merger with the competitor. “A common ski pass can only be used by a United structure, since it is a cross-subsidisation of the axis due to the always wild house of the Toggenburg Bergbahnen AG”, says head of marketing Alex singing Berger.
The adjacent rail had other ideas and plans. It is important to accept entrepreneurial, says Urs Gantenbein, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Bergbahnen Wildhaus. “We focus on the winter season and the operational side of the business.”
hotel
affected For the past four years, the conflict is simmering. They culminated in the summer of 2017 in an unfriendly takeover attempt of the Toggenburg mountain Railways. The company from under water had, in newspaper advertisements an exchange offer for shares of the mountain Railways in wild released in the house. The price was assessed in wild house but as to deep. The Toggenburg mountain Railways have extended their offer twice. The current offer expires at the end of August 2020.
The consequences of the dispute, the Hotels in the Toggenburg to feel. Regulars to cancel your bookings. Even the Reka holiday village in Wildhaus is affected. It reports a decline in bookings of around ten percent compared to the previous year.
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The Swiss travel Fund occurs, therefore, the escape to the front, in order to reduce their dependence on the two mountain Railways. Reka is investing around 1 Million Swiss francs in the holiday village in Wildhaus. With this money, 25 of the 57 apartments have to be renewed. There are new floors, new paint, new furniture and new bathrooms.
“With this offer we want to address, especially in the off-season is also Best Agers,” says Reka, Vice-Director Damian Pfister. What is meant is the age group from 50 years. Reka is no longer priced in, therefore, only the skiing in the Toggenburg, but also increasingly activities as Cycling, Hiking or Climbing.
The fronts are hardened Tests
to settle the dispute, failing several times. Not only is the Canton of St. Gallen and the state Secretariat for economic Affairs have not managed to mediate between the competing companies. Last Toggenburg tourism took a running start to get the train operators to the table. However, the tourism organization has also thrown in the towel.
guest Marcel Lampart and his partner are now losing patience: “If the mountain going cars in the coming year, not to step on each other, we consider, to bear witness to our apartment.”
Created: 01.12.2019, 21:21 PM
