Tourism in Upper Engadin is gearing up for a Covid-19 winter. A task force of accommodation providers, sports providers, mountain railways, public transport, healthcare and the destination organization Engadin St. Moritz is helping local businesses prepare for possible pandemic developments. At the invitation of the task force, municipalities also meet with the task force for a weekly exchange.

Tourism providers, healthcare providers and the destination organization Engadin St. Moritz have set up a joint task force to support the further course of the pandemic. Their main task is to support local providers in preparing for the season and to promote a uniform and hospitable implementation of protective measures. The “Corona II Engadin” task force has also invited municipalities to coordinate with it.
For now, the working group has defined 23 scenarios which should help companies through the winter. On the basis of various pandemic processes, the corresponding public sector measures and the response of the population, companies should prepare for the coming winter and train their managers and employees. The scenarios were presented to companies during a workshop on Wednesday.
Prepare companies and their employees
Various aspects were taken into account in the forecasts. Situations that have already occurred and those that are highly likely to be expected, such as cluster formation, “superspreader” events, reactions from other countries or another lockdown such as last spring, were taken into account.
“With these scenarios, every single company can already consider what they can expect and how they want to prepare for it,” explains management consultant Christian Gartmann, who initiated the working group.
“The scenarios are based on regional experiences since March, the scenarios of the cantonal health authority, possible tightening of protective measures, but also the public response to them.”
“We need to prepare ourselves and our employees for what might happen to us and how we would react to it. This allows us to act more calmly and thoughtfully. This helps us to be better hosts,” says Christoph Schlatter, President of hotelleriesuisse St. Moritz, and emphasizes: “Whatever winter may bring, we should take measures that are as uniform as possible in Engadin to achieve the highest possible level of acceptance and a positive sense of security among our guests and locals.”
Exchange with municipalities
The task force has also brought the concerns of uniform protective measures across the region to the municipalities. At their invitation, representatives of municipalities, tourism and healthcare from the Upper Engadin, Bergell and Valposchiavo are now meeting weekly to exchange information.
The current situation and concerns of the various interest groups in the region in connection with the pandemic will be discussed. “The safety of our guests, employees and local people in the region is at the center of all efforts,” says Jan Steiner, Engadin Brand Manager at ESTM, who co-manages the group. “It is very important to clearly show our guests that the measures are aimed at them, protect them and yet allow a wonderful holiday in the Engadin.”
Media contact for more information
Jan Steiner
Brand Manager Engadin ESTM
Head of Taskforce
+41 81 830 08 11
Christian Gartmann
Task Force Project Manager
Municipalities coordinator
+41 79 355 78 78
The 23 scenarios of the “Corona II Engadin” task force
The “Corona II Engadin” task force has described 23 tourism-relevant scenarios for Engadin.
They consist of possible developments in the pandemic, possible measures by the federal, cantonal, municipal and other states, as well as the response of the population and guests to them.
Key topics of the scenarios include:
- Accumulated infections and spreader events
- Assembly bans
- Schools and daycare centers
- Failure of central operations
- quarantines
- limits
- Image effects
- Protests against tourists
- ski areas
- New lock down
Based on the scenarios, companies in the region can assess possible effects themselves, develop prevention and measures to continue operations and train their managers and employees accordingly.
Information provided by the destination organization Engadin St. Moritz
Common questions and answers (for guests):
www.engadin.ch/en/faq-corona/
Weekly newsletter and questions/answers for tourism providers in the region:
Sign up at pm@engadin.ch
Christian Gartmann is the initiator of the “Corona II Engadin” task force, heads the group and also coordinates it with the thirteen municipalities of the Upper Engadin, Bergell and Valposchiavo.