G(S)T contemplates name change

In the run-up to the General Assembly meeting of Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus, there was quite some debate in GstaadLife sister publication, the Anzeiger von Saanen, over the proposals to change the name of "Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus" to just "Gstaad Tourismus". On the one hand, there were those who argued that the brand of repute that attracts tourism and spending to the region is in fact "Gstaad", and that the use of the Saanenland reference specifically precludes the possibility to market such regions as Zweisimmen (technically in the Obersimmental) and Rougemont (technically in Pays d'Enhaut). On the other hand there were arguments made that the Saanenland moniker is the glue that binds the unique villages of the region together, a connection which is an important link to the rural authenticity of the countryside and which helps counter the perception in some consumer circles that the brand Gstaad stands for excessive wealth and snobbishness. In the end, the assembly rejected the name change proposals, with the 67 to 54 vote insufficient to trigger a by-law amendment that any name change would require. Bu it's still interesting food for thought though...Gstaad and Saanenland, which is the dog and which is the tail?

Comments

[Andreas Arnold]

Although I am an “oh dear – not another letter to the editor” type, the reactions in the past few days have pushed me to do some typing of my own. I am concerned about the planned Gstaad Saanenland Tourism’s (GST) planned name change to drop the Saanenland reference altogether.

Despite being townies, my family has been warmly accepted into Saanenland and we now call it home. One of the first things we learnt about our home is its local-mindedness. A Lauener is proud of his Wildhorn, a Schönriederin passionate for her local mountains, a Gstaader prides his Promenade, and the Saanenmöseners take trips to their “Hore.” Gsteigers are satisfied by the renewed importance of their glacier, and Saaners are fighting like lions for their bypass road. To understand these idiosyncrasies one has to have roots in Saanenland, with ancestors who grew up here, and a passion for the area. Without such breeding, we simply had to accept how things work here.

In contrast, my understanding of “home” is different to the local conception: once I have wound my way through the 15-odd curves from Zweisimmen, crossed the last bridge and driven through the opening at Saanenmöser , then I have arrived at what I consider home. It is not just when I have parked up in front of my house. I assume this has to do with my own heritage.

Keeping the proud identities in mind, the planned name change does not only entail benefits. Instead, the impression that “everything is governed from the offices in Gstaad” would be reinforced. There is no doubt that the brand Gstaad is what attracts our guests from Thun to Australia. We all secure our subsistence through this brand. At the same time it is unnecessary to remove Saanenland from the tag and create a rift between the different villages. All this would achieve is the propensity to apportion blame and jealousy, and the unity with which we present the region to our guests would be destroyed.

I hope we can stand together as Saanenland, with Gstaad at the heart of our marketing. We should not try to undermine the identities of local variations, for the term Saanenland is the social glue that unites the region.

Andreas Arnold, Schönried