Santis Financials - "A Good Result Despite Major Challenges"

At Säntis, people have been used to dealing with resistance and challenges for ages. But also for the storm-tested Säntis-Schwebebahn AG, the last two years with the avalanche in 2019 and the corona situation that has dragged on since the beginning of 2020 were a special challenge. With a wealth of ideas, a flexible attitude and courage, the initiative Säntis team managed to keep the tourism company on course and to further increase the attractiveness of the destination even under difficult circumstances. 

It is understandable that the failures in spring and autumn left their mark on the 2020 balance sheet. For a good three months last year, the Säntis suspension railway did not smell any passengers to the summit. The restaurants were empty and all group functions, events, seminars and family celebrations had to be canceled. A sad situation for the around 170 employees. The glorious summer was then a ray of hope, which brought the Säntis a whole new segment of guests. So much French has probably never been heard on the Säntis. With honest hospitality, the Säntis team was able to win the hearts of guests from French-speaking Switzerland. "This unexpected increase in visitors from western Switzerland is a gratifying fact that we were able to experience in this generally not easy time", 

The strategic investments are paying off It has paid off that Säntis-Schwebebahn AG did not simply rely on the attraction of the Säntis, but instead made targeted investments in increasing the attractiveness of the tourism platform. First and foremost, this includes the hotel that opened four years ago. The completely renovated summit restaurant and of course the unique adventure world, which has become a popular destination for large and small guests from near and far, even on bad weather days, also had positive effects. All of these measures together have resulted in Säntis-Schwebebahn AG in the Corona year 2020, despite all the restrictions, with a turnover of 17.3 million francs, only about 0.8 million below the previous year. In the most important business areas, «suspension railway», «hotel & 

This stable result made it possible not only to keep all employees, but also to realize the carefully planned investments in the future of the company. 

Used the time to become even more attractive 

Those responsible used the period of total closure and the subsequent operational restrictions to expand existing offers and create new ones. Together with their teams, Michael Wehrli for the suspension railway and Remo Brülisauer for the hotel and gastronomy have rethought and improved a lot. "Right at the beginning of the lockdown, we collected ideas, improved work processes and created new offers," explains Remo Brülisauer. One of the results of this is the new “Star Magic” offer. As a contrast to the popular "Full Moon Ride" offer, these events offer a breathtaking view of the star-studded empty moon sky over the Säntis. Michael Wehrli and his team mainly used the standstill time to prepare a new mountain railway concept with the experts from the Federal Office of Transport. 

Chairman of the Board of Directors Michael Auer also honors these entrepreneurial achievements: “I am very grateful to the Säntis team that thanks to innovative ideas, quick and correct decisions and the tireless efforts of all employees, this difficult financial year could be concluded successfully. We are all looking forward to the time without restrictions, in which the potential of the Schwägalp-Säntis tourism platform can develop to its full potential ».