Tourism dispute: Now a front is forming against the dominance of St. Moritz

A week ago, the SonntagsZeitung The municipality of St. Moritz has withdrawn its confidence in the Board of Directors of Engadin St. Moritz Tourismus. The main shareholder, which holds more than 34% of the shares, stated that it no longer wanted to work with the marketing organization under this management (Werbewoche.ch reported).

This had consequences: The Board of Directors then announced its resignation at the Annual General Meeting in April, as the SonntagsZeitung writes in the current issue. A capitulation to the power of the region's tourism flagship.

Connections in the valley

However, there is apparently no consensus in the valley. The shareholders of Engadin St. Moritz Tourismus also include municipalities other than St. Moritz. They were asked to express their opinion on whether they had confidence in the Board of Directors. With the exception of Silvaplana, which abstained, all other municipalities are said to have expressed their support for the supervisory body of the AG. However, the newspaper also points out that there are conflicts of interest in the valley: For example, the husband of one of the board members sits on the Pontresina municipal council. The municipality has written to the Board of Directors. "The connections are numerous," writes the newspaper.

"Tragedy of the first order"

The fact that the tourism dispute in the Upper Engadine has developed into a question of "St. Moritz versus the rest" is also shown by one comment in the Engadine PostSt. Moritz has gone out on a limb with the withdrawal of confidence and these accusations. Now the municipal council and its president have to deliver, they say, "to show specifically why the vaguely formulated 'renewal of strategic leadership is a great opportunity for St. Moritz and the entire Upper Engadine'." What has happened in recent days and weeks is "a tragedy of the first order" and jeopardizes "the years of development work of one of Switzerland's largest tourism destinations."

St. Moritz is bothered by the strong influence of the mountain railroads

What is undisputed is that St. Moritz is powerful and uses this power to its advantage. This displeases the other municipalities. St. Moritz must ask itself whether it is not giving too much weight to its own interests and offending the other municipalities with its behavior, says Marcus Gschwend, who is still President of the Board of Directors.

Gschwend is Managing Director of Bergbahnen Graubünden. Among other things, the municipality of St. Moritz wants to reduce the influence of the mountain railroads. The CEO of Engandin St. Moritz Tourismus, who was dismissed by the Board of Directors in September, therefore met with resistance with his plan to advertise the mountain offer less. The fact that the head of finance of the mountain railroads also works for Engadin St. Moritz Tourismus is a source of annoyance for the municipality of St. Moritz.

No money for spring campaign

Meanwhile, Markus Meili, Managing Director of the mountain railroads (St. Moritz Mountains) covered the marketing organization Engadin St. Moritz in the newspaper Südostschweiz with harsh accusations: money had been "diverted without a budget" - this was now missing for the spring ski campaign. There is no evidence of this so far. It is still unclear how the deficit of CHF 600,000, which led to the dismissal of CEO Walter, came about. The former tourism director said that he had no knowledge of this and has not seen any evidence to date. He is currently preparing a lawsuit against Engadin St. Moritz.

How the SonntagsZeitung writes, the tourism organization will have to provide facts at the Annual General Meeting in April at the latest. Otherwise, the departing Board of Directors could be denied discharge.