engelberg magazin nummer16 sommer

Bei den Gästen ist das Wetter stets ein grosses Thema. Die Mitarbeiter müssen viele Fragen dazu beantworten. The weather is always a major concern for visitors, result- ing in numerous questions for the staff to answer.

Die Mitarbeitenden im Tourist Center sind Allrounder: Sie verkaufen Skitickets, vermitteln Ferienwohnungen oder beantwor- ten Fragen rund um Engelberg. The people working in the Tourist Center have to be all-rounders, selling tickets, arranging holi- day apartments and answering questions about Engelberg.

Engelberg-Titlis Tourismus AG takes great pride in making Engelberg known to the world and ensuring visitors are aware of everything it has to offer. Here, you can take a look behind the scenes and meet some of the 20 or so staff members whose usually unsung efforts make it all possible. For many people, the on ly point of con- tac t with Engelberg-Titlis Tourismus AG (ETT) is the Tourist Center. This is where v isitors are adv ised over the phone, in person, or v ia the internet and socia l media. Cindy Vogler and her co-workers per form a wide range of tasks, ar- indiv idua l needs of ever y v isitor, whoever they may be,” says Cindy. When it comes to the weather and snow conditions, v isitors’ requests cannot a lways be catered for, “ but apar t f rom that there is a great dea l we can do,” she laughs. On occasions in the past, Cindy has doubled as a tax i driver, and even looked af ter people’s children or dogs. “Once, someone brought a stray cat to the counter,” she says, reca lling a par ticu larly memorable moment. Whenever a business v isit to Engelberg for more than ten people needs planning, the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events) depar tment steps in. One of the faces of the depar tment is Barbara Paro. She has been organising group v isits down to the last detail since 2010. “There’s no such word as impossible” is her mot to: “My daily cha l- lenge is to do ever y thing within my power for each group, and never give up.” One obstacle Barbara can’ t a lways overcome is the weather: without snow, ac tiv ities such as sledding or ranging holiday apar tments and hotels, selling tickets, drawing up of fers, answer- ing questions, and more: “My goa l is to satisf y the

a v isit to the igloo v illage are simply of f the menu. These are among the most popu lar winter ac tiv ities, a longside skiing, snow- shoe tours, elec tric motorbike riding at the SnowXpark, and the “winter experience” at Schwand. In summer, v isitors book outings up the Titlis, guided tours of the Abbey, a v isit to the A lpine dair y, or simply go f ishing. To bring Engelberg to the at tention of potentia l v isitors, things like an informative website and at trac tive brochures are a must. Head of marketing Marco Zemp is responsible

like to accompany the journa lists and tour operators for a lit tle longer, but I can’ t be in two places at once.” For relaxation, Svedberg turns to the mountains – precisely where she f inds her most power f u l sa les arguments. A lthough many v isitors choose Engel- berg for its natura l at trac tions and spor ts ac tiv ities, cu lture a lso has an impor tant role to play in the v illage. Keeping this tradition a live is the task of cu ltura l of f icer Charles Christen. Charles, who worked as resor t direc tor f rom 1968 to 1993, organises concer ts and coordi- nates events at the Abbey, the v isitors access to ar tists and ar tworks that many people have never heard of before. “I don’ t believe cu lture shou ld be a priv ilege of the elite. Traditions and customs are cu lture too, and form a par t of Engelberg’s identity.” L ike any company, ETT needs a solid f inancia l footing. This is ensured by head of f inance Sabrina Suter. Essentia lly, her duties include any thing involv ing numbers. In addi- tion to accounts payable and accounts receiv- able, this comprises statistics, qua lity manage- ment and suppor ting the tourism direc tor with strategic tasks. Engelberg-Titlis Tourismus has a yearly turnover in excess of CHF 8 mil- lion. The major source of income is the tourism charges. Expenditure is made up primarily of pay roll expenses and marketing. “At the mo- ment I wou ld say we are investing the most in increasing the at trac tiveness of our of fer,” says Suter. Her job includes making sure that spending doesn’ t go over budget. However, be- ing a spoilspor t is not in her nature: “Presum- Ta l Museum and Grafenor t manor. “The Benedic tine Ab- bey is the main at trac tion in terms of cu lture,” he says. It is impor tant to Charles to be able to of fer both loca ls and

ably that ’s because, as a woman, I f ind it easier to spend money than to save it,” she laughs. A ll of these people have clearly def ined areas of responsibility. Tourism direc tor Fré- déric Füssenich ’s job description is somewhat broader. When asked what his job entails, he replies: “Genera lly speaking, I manage an SME with a turnover of eight million and a staf f of around 20. I get projec ts on track, and play the lead role at various events.” Frédéric is a genera list. One moment he is discussing strategy with the board, the nex t he is ta lk-

for the development of new concepts (such as the par tner- ship with the municipa lity of Wolfenschiessen), mainte- nance of the app, and updat- ing/rewriting of various printed mat ter. “It is high ly

ing to journa lists and travel agencies. “What I like most about the job is Engelberg itself,” he says. “It is a priv i- lege to be responsible for marketing a produc t that I identif y with so f u lly.” Even

ETT employs a staff of around 20, including three train- ees and one intern.

Culture has an important role to play in the village.

motivating to work for a brand as power f u l as Engelberg Titlis. The range of experiences in and around Engelberg is enormous and still harbours great potentia l,” says Marco. The relative streng th of the Swiss f ranc at the mo- ment is not making his job any easier. Engel- berg has to f ind a way to set itself apar t f rom other tourist destinations. “However, we are conv inced that our destination strategy is a good one, and that we will be successf u l.” In charge of the planning and execu- tion of sa les is sa les manager Janicke Sved- berg, who can of ten be found at trade fairs and workshops in nearby European countries. She a lso receives journa lists and tour opera- tors and shows them around. Born in Sweden, Janicke f irst came to Engelberg for the f reerid- ing. She studied in Berne before working in Zurich, but a lways stayed true to Engelberg. “I like the fac t that I’m selling something I rea lly believe in.” Her biggest cha llenge is switching of f af ter work. “Sometimes I’ d

though times are tough – due to the streng th of the Swiss f ranc – Frédéric is optimistic about the f uture. “Engelberg has a ll the necessar y conditions in place to enable it to emerge streng thened f rom the crisis. A ll we need to do is pu ll together and use the resources at hand.” His optimism is doubtlessly due in no sma ll measure to the fac t that he knows he can rely on a dedicated team prepared to put their hear t and sou l into Engelberg.

16

17

inside

inside