Swiss ski resorts on sale? How foreign investors are changing the region
The American ski resort operator Vail Resorts is the big new player in the Swiss mountain regions. The US company has bought two ski resorts within two years: Andermatt-Sedrun and Crans-Montana. With the so-called Epic Pass - an season pass that gives access to all 42 Vail resorts worldwide - guests from the USA can now also enjoy unlimited skiing in Switzerland.
More and more Swiss ski resorts are becoming the focus of international investors. The ski lifts are extremely important for the economy and the identity of the respective regions. ‘How can it be that Switzerland, as one of the richest nations, is dependent on foreign investors?’ asks Thomas Egger, Director of the Swiss Association for Mountain Regions.
Lenzerheide shows how a ski resort can be run without major investors. Here, the majority of the mountain railways are owned by the municipality. ‘That way you don't become a pawn in the hands of speculators,’ says Thomas Küng, CEO of Lenzerheide Bergbahnen.
| Production: | NZZ Format, SRF, 2025 |
| Status: | Broadcasted on SRF (swiss national TV) on 23. Januar 22025, available on YouTube |
| Genre: | TV-Documentary |
| Language: | German, Swiss german |
| Length: | 29 Minutes |
| A film by: | Lukas Wagner |
| Camera: | Sven Lerjen |
| Graphics: | Hennes Elbert |
| Editing: | Isai Oswald |
| Sound mix: | Brauereisound GmbH / Flo Steinbach, Ediz Kiracar |
| Voices: | Lotti Happle, Jonas Rüegg, Nadin Hadorn, Roman Haselbacher |
| Color grading: | Kamerawerg GmbH |
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