GstaadLife

Gstaad Saanenland Tourism has confirmed that room nights in the region are down compared to previous years. The blame appears to lie squarely with the strong Swiss franc, which makes visiting Switzerland in general and Gstaad in particular even more expensive than it used to be. The saving grace, according to Gstaad's tourist director Martin Bachofner, was that at least the Swiss guests have stayed loyal to the region, even as Euro earners, Brits and Americans have stayed away. Andrea Scherz, the director of the Gstaad Palace, spoke at length a out this topic earlier in the season in an interview with the Tagesanzeiger, reflecting the concerns of many of the region's hoteliers. For those of you who read German click here for the interview. Or here for our previous comment on this.

 
Don't miss this great market - lots of stands, lots of food and lots of fun. It starts at 9:00 and goes until 17:00. The Lions Club Gstaad Saanenland will also have a stand there where they collect old reading glasses for SightFirst - so don't forget to bring them. 

Above the winners of the 2011 Grand Slam beach volleyball tournament in Gstaad:  Brazil's Emanuel Rego and Alison Cerutti won in the final against Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser (USA) in straight sets 22:20, 21:19. Germans Brink and Rickermann won against the Polish team for the bronze medal.

In the women's draw, Larissa Franca and Juliana Felisberta Silva took gold for Brazil, beating Xue/Zhang Xi from China in straight sets 21:15, 21:13. In something of a tournament upset, the bronze medal went to Cicolari/Menegatti from Italy, who won against Talita/Antonelli of Brazil also in two sets 22:20, 21:14.

Friday March 25 was Roger Seifritz's last day as director of the Gstaad-Saanenland tourist office. We wish him all the very best for his future and thank him for his great work over the last 13 years.

Above: Roger Seifritz earlier this week at the controls of an Ecolight Ikarus C42 surveying the region whose promotion as a tourism destination he was responsible for since 1998. 

 
The board of the Gstaad-Saanenland tourism has finally made its decision for a new tourism director. And the winner is: Martin Bachofner, 38 years old, from Moosseedorf. The somewhat unexpected part of it is that he so far had nothing to do with tourism in his career. He started off with an apprenticeship at an insurance company, studied law at the University of St. Gallen, worked for Credit Suisse, has an MBA for entrepreneurship from Liechtenstein and won the Swiss TV show 'Traumjob', (the Swiss version of 'The Apprentice') which earned him a SFr 200'000 job at Marquard Media. Quite a CV, and from May he will run the tourism business in Gstaad. Young, bright, and hopefully full of new ideas. Welcome to Saanenland and good luck from GstaadLife.com! 

 
This weekend saw the start of the 33rd ballon festival in Château-d’Oex. For the full programm click here - let's hope the night glow is going to happen this year. 

 
Last Thursday December 23 2010, just five months after the start of the construction (and many, many helicopter runs up and down the mountain), the new gondola to La Videmanette was inaugurated.

The time has come and the snow is here in abundance. Here are the opening dates for the skilifts in and around Gstaad-Saanenland:

1.12.10 Saanerslochgrat-Hornberg-Horneggli
11.12.10 Gstaad-Wasserngrat
11.12.10 Château-d‘Oex-La Braye
18.12.10 Zweisimmen-Rinderberg
18.12.10 St. Stephan-Parwengesattel
18.12.10 Gstaad-Eggli
18.12.10 Lauenen
22.12.10 Schönried-Rellerli
22.12.10 Gstaad-Wispile (Skilift Rütti from 18.12.10)
22.12.10 Gsteig
23.12.10 Rougemont-La Videmanette (could change)

Check the maps and webcams before you go as these things are subject to change in the early-season.