On November 17th-19th, the 2020 International Mountain Tourism Alliance Annual Conference opened in Guiyang. The Conference is concentrated on the theme of "The Path of Mountain Tourism Development in the Post-COVID World". During the annual conference, the participants focused on this major topic, and discuss depth in how to promote the revitalization and quality of mountain tourism after the pandemic, and provide thoughts guidance and practice support for global mountain tourism management and promotion of global tourism industry.
This Annual Conference is hosted by the International Mountain Tourism Alliance. UNWTO, WTTC, PATA, GTEF, WTA, WTCF, ASEAN-China Centre, WCCO and other well-know international organizations and associations provided powerful support.
The Speech on the 2020"Dialogue among Famous Mountains in the World"
Dr. Leiggener, Site Manager of UNESCO World Heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch and Director of World Nature Forum
Dear Members of the International Mountain Tourism Alliance.
My name is Hans-Christian Leiggener and I am the representative of the UNESCO world natural heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch. Thank you very much for your invitation.
The UNESCO world natural heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch is the heart of the Swiss Alps. There is a glacial surface of 350 square kilometers which is compact, 50% of the glacial volume is in this world natural heritage. And Interlaken is the gate to it.
In 2001 the world heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch has been listed into the world heritage sites. And of course, this has been because of three UNESCO criteria, which are uniqueness, diversity and beauty. It is very easy to access, mostly by train or public transport. Train and cable-cars ensure an easy access and also a contingent control. The major target is, that the next generation will have this exciting nature as well as we do. But, we also want that the next generation already think about their next generation.
Thank you very much for your attention and I wish you the best of luck for the conference, and I give the word to Urs Kessler, CEO of Jungfrau Railways – Top of Europe.
The Speech on the 2020"Dialogue among Famous Mountains in the World"
Mr. Urs Kessler, CEO of Jungfrau Railways, Swiss
Dear Members of the IMTA, dear Chairwoman Chen, distinguished guests of the 2020 "Dialogue among Famous Mountains in the World". It’s indeed a great pleasure and honour to be part of this event.
The V-Project is the most important project of Jungfrau Railways since the construction of Jungfrau Railways. V-Project has 8 integrated parts and we always, in these parts, respect the nature. That’s the key of the success for every company.
The investment of 470 Million Swiss Francs has two main goals: quality and comfort for our guests around the world. An important fact, and a trend, for travelling all over the world is to save the travel tame. With this project, on one way, we can win 47 minutes for our guests. A key of this project is the public transport into the “Grindelwald Terminal” (station) with a very high quality, and at the same time, I think the most unique part of the project is the Eiger-Express with a 3S gondola (cableway) from Grindelwald Terminal (station) to Eiger Glacier (station) within 15 minutes. where you change to the new trains of Jungfrau Railways to the (Jungfraujoch) - Top of Europe.
This project enables us to be a brand – the Top Brand in Europe – for the next 30 to 50 years. The project is a project of the Alps, it’s a project for the future and it’s a project for our customers. That means, we keep the distance in our company. We give free of charge masks if our guests don’t have a mask or forget the mask. We clean the trains regularly, every hour, every two hours, it depends on the number of visitors we have, and we instruct our staff to follow all the instructions to make it (The visit) very safe. And very important is we have reservation for the seats for FIT (Free Independent Travelers) and we hope as well for the future for the groups, they are coming back very soon!
And at the same time, for the reservations, if a market like China would like to have a special service, we can even reserve a train just for the Chinese visitors. This is an added value, a special service for our most valued customers from China.
Thank you very much & Xiexie!
Dialogue
The Host of 2020 “Dialogue among Famous Mountains in the World”
Emma Chen，Global Vice President of the Internationale Organisation Für Volkskunst (IOV)
President Emma Chen(Host): Dr. Leiggener, with the continuation and uncertainty of the pandemic situation, it may continue for a period of time. How does the Swiss government respond? What specific measures have you taken? And, as we know, Switzerland's winter sports have a lot of mature experience. What are your suggestions for the 2022 Winter Olympics in China?
Dr. Leiggener: Dear President Emma Chen, thank you very much for your questions.
Let’s talk about the measures in tourism at the moment in Switzerland. We have a hygiene and distance framework. We have face-masks on the trains and required in closed areas as well. We have distance markers and contingents per square meters (of surface) and a lot of disinfection possibilities. But in particular we focus on the Swiss market and on similar markets as well, for example Germany.
And for the Winter Olympic Games in China in 2022，let’s give you the advice that maybe you should give an image to skiing, which is very important, which is very exclusive not as snobby as maybe in the US, but as popular as a ski or sports for well situated people. And maybe take an example of the Lauberhorn downhill race World Cup of Jungfrau-Aletsch. If you can transport a sequence of the mood of this downhill race, in the sense of letting it become such a (popular event) and place in China.
President Emma Chen(Host): As the pandemic has spawned the prosperity of electronic services and emerging industries, the way people travel has changed. What is your confidence in the development of railway industry and mountain tourism? What is your suggestion?
Mr. Kessler: First of all, the digitalization changed the world of travelling. But I really see a chance for the future. First of all, the people want to experience the nature, the real product, the mountains. That means we need to go ahead with the digitalization, that means we need to have online bookings, we need to have apps. As we are creating at the moment a new “Jungfrau-App” – and congratulations to China, you are far ahead, that’s something that is already well established in your market, in China! – but we will have, in Europe, as the first mountain, the Jungfrau App where you can reserve the seats, where you can reserve the restaurants, where you can reserve the tickets, where you can book, for example, the ski instructor, etc. so all you will have on our new Jungfrau App from the 5th of December 2020.
Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe is the highest railway station in Europe. And it’s a brand. And a brand is getting more and more important, because nowadays the products are getting more and more similar. Everybody is copying the other company. And important is, with the brand, Jungfrau – Top of Europe, there is no visit in Europe without Paris and Top of Europe! This is our marketing. At the same time, I think important is the product. The best marketing for the future is a good product. And we have a unique product, with the UNESCO World Heritage Jungfrau-Aletsch, The Aletsch Glacier, the longest stream of ice in the alps, and we have uncountable attractions up at the Top of Europe, such as the Ice Palace, the Alpine Sensation, and a lot more. At the end of the day, important is that you match the needs of the market. And that is one thing we do in the future with the new V-Project, and of course with this unbelievable nature we can offer at Jungfrau-Aletsch.
