Engadin is getting a new festival: VIVAL, the alpine health festival, brings health and pleasure together in September. Providers from the hotel, catering, healthcare and sports industries are offering numerous offers, and the festival itself contributes a number of events. VIVAL was presented on Thursday as part of the cantonal roadshow on health tourism.
“Our valley literally radiates the joy of a healthy lifestyle; health and enjoyment are at home here,” says Richard Dillier, co-initiator and president of the VIVAL association. “VIVAL brings health and enjoyment under one roof and promotes new tourist offers that benefit our guests and our businesses.”
Together with Dillier, the doctor Adi Urfer, the hotelier Christoph M. Schlatter and the management consultant Christian Gartmann have been working on the idea for the festival since 2019. “The pandemic has set us back time and again, but now — thanks in part to the support of Engadin St. Moritz Tourismus AG — we are ready to launch VIVAL,” says Dr. Adi Urfer.
“The VIVAL motto “Health and Enjoyment” is just right for our region. That is why we will also incorporate the topic of “health and enjoyment” into the regional tourism strategy,” explains Thomas Rechberger, member of the management board of Engadin St. Moritz Tourismus AG. The team from the regional tourism organization is also actively supporting the festival: “Our Experience Shop on the Internet will be VIVAL's central booking platform. Everything that VIVAL has to offer is offered here and can be booked here.”
However, the festival itself will only host a small part of VIVAL, such as a health check, lectures, workshops or field trips. “The focus is on tourist providers in the Engadin. They already have a variety of offers that suit VIVAL. VIVAL gives them a central platform and the opportunity for new collaborations,” says Christoph M. Schlatter.
“VIVAL should be the festival of Engadin providers. They design the offers and bring VIVAL to life.” The idea for the festival came from the “Health & Tourism” conference, which St. Moritz initiator Christian Gartmann held from 2015 to 2019. “Health tourism has many facets. Our festival is intended to make businesses in the region and their guests want an enjoyable and healthy lifestyle,” he says.
VIVAL 2022 will take place from September 2 to October 2, 2022 in Upper Engadin.
Contact for media professionals
- VIVAL Association
- Christian Gartmann, Program and Communication
- 079 355 78 78
- christian@gartmann.biz
Contact for providers from the region
- Engadin St. Moritz Tourism AG
- Alexandra Hüsler, Partner Management
- 081 830 08 15
- alexandra.huesler@engadin.ch