Since 2000, Hotellerie-Suisse and htr hotelrevue have partnered with STV (Swiss Tourist Association) and have awarded innovative projects in tourism with the Milestone Award.

The Milestone is an innovation prize for the Swiss tourism scene, and in 2000 Gstaad received the award for the construction of the car free Promenade. But Hotellerie-Suisse and htr have decided that now is the time to move in a different direction.

Class reunion on the Niesen
The Milestone jury and STV were not involved in the decision, which they regeret. The former jury members and STV are therefore considering whether and how to continue the award. Simply quitting was not an option for them. So, they came up with the idea to put the spotlight on the projects of the past years once again and choose the “best of the best”.

The winners of the Milestone of the last 22 years will meet on the Niesen on 15 November to look back on the past years. Ahead of the Niesen Summit 2022, participants can vote for their favourite projects from the pool of previous award winners.

Visibility of innovative projects is key
For Monika Bandi Tanner from the Tourism Research Centre at the University of Bern, Milestone jury member and member of the board of directors of Bergbahnen Destination Gstaad, it is vital to maintain the knowledge transfer: “If the associations are struggling now, we would like to bridge, reflect and discuss with a project group of jury members in 2022. Perhaps the time is ripe for an interest group to take over,” she said to the hotelrevue.

BASED ON AVS/BLANCA BURRI