Poschiavo supports the municipality of Pontresina in marketing the Bernina region as “Glacier Bernina”. The small destination is not just financially emancipating itself following the Bernina Pass: As a link to its Italian neighbors, Valposchiavo will become the Upper Engadin's partner for tourism projects of the future, writes Alessandro Della Vedova*
Poschiavo is not a self-sufficient region, nor does it ever want to be. Nevertheless, two years ago, we vehemently resisted a territorial reform that would simply have merged the Poschiavo region with the Maloja/ Engadin region. The two regions north and south of Bernina can grow together, but of their own free will and through fruitful cooperation. A small but emblematic decision illustrates my thesis: Despite temporarily empty municipal coffers, Poschiavo supports the municipality of Pontresina with 80,000 francs in marketing the Bernina region as “Bernina Glacier.”
Both partners have noticed that Poschlav, with its history, culture and architecture, with its typical Italian cuisine and unspoiled nature, can also be of interest to guests in the Engadin. What would the RhB success route from St. Moritz to Tirano be without the Valposchiavo, with its natural, landscape and climatic diversity, which takes guests from the high-alpine Bernina Pass to the almost Mediterranean shores of Lake Poschiavo on just a few kilometers of rail?
The trend of the time is working for Poschlav: Simply positioning the “jet set” as a refuge for the “jet set” is no longer enough to feed a valley like the Engadin. Guests demand a new level of authenticity and simplicity and appreciate, for example, the niche products that a Poschiavo or even a Bergell can offer. They love the authentic, simple ambiance that complements the beautiful yet highly developed Engadin.
It is time for closer cooperation between the Engadin and the South Valleys: Both valleys can only benefit if our guests visit both sides of the Bernina. The municipality of Poschiavo has recognized this potential and gladly accepted the proposal from the municipality of Pontresina to join the “Bernina Glacier” project. Together, the natural beauty of the Bernina aggregate will now be better presented on both sides of the pass. Engadines like Puschlaver can only benefit from this.
But much more is possible: Unlike in the past, Poschiavo could open up new potential for Engadin today. Solid and daily relationships with Valtellina and the Lombardy region make Poschiavo a reliable partner in reopening the northern Italian market, in view of the 2015 World Fair in Milan, but also in efforts to attract traditional Milanese guests who have recently lost something to the Engadin. Everyday life shows that the Engadin can count on its neighbors south of the Bernina Pass.
A neighbor who is trying to look to the future, seriously playing his role as a bridge builder between North and South and, despite a difficult economic and financial situation, is prepared to invest in the common future in the interests of both valleys. Although the original territorial reform planned on paper did not take place, the synergies intended as a result of these are still beginning to take root.
Alessandro Della Vedova is Vice President of CVP Grisons, Grand Council of the Poschiavo District and Podestà of the Municipality of Poschiavo.
This text was published in the Engadiner Post on February 11, 2014.