Industry Prepares For The Future At The General Assembly Of Swiss Cable Car Forum
At the general assembly and the Swiss Cable Car Forum – the association's most important event – the mountain railway industry is asking itself the question "Are we fit for the future?" The latest findings on social changes, economic developments and climate change, as well as their consequences for the cable car industry, will be discussed in Lugano on 17 and 18 October.
President Hans Wicki, Council of States member and President of Swiss Cable Cars (SBS), welcomed the approximately 360 participants to the 54th General Assembly on the morning of October 17, 2024 and summed up the past financial year. The past financial year 2023/24 was characterized by excellent summer conditions and challenges in winter. Overall, the cable cars reacted innovatively and quickly to changing external conditions.
Sustainability and the future of winter sports in focus
Berno Stoffel, Director of SBS, then spoke about the association's mission. In addition to climate change, he also discussed the challenges of demographic and technological change and noted that sustainability and the future of winter sports are current focus topics for both companies and the association. With the various projects in the area of sustainability and the "Snow Compass" project, the association and the industry want to prepare for the future in cooperation with partners.
The SBS Board of Directors, consisting of seven representatives from different regions, remains unchanged following the re-election of the two members Valentin König, Valais Mountain Railways, and Marco Luggen, Bernese Mountain Railways.
Future perspectives, industry trends and fitness tests: experts in dialogue
The Swiss Cable Car Forum began with a presentation by Prof. Dr. Philipp Lütolf of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts on the latest findings on the financial situation of mountain railways and on products such as dynamic pricing or Magic Pass. A highlight was the panel discussion with long-standing managing directors Urs Kessler, Director of Jungfrau Railways, Jürg Balsiger, former Director of CabriO Stanserhorn-Bahn, and Markus Hasler, CEO of Zermatt Bergbahnen AG, who gave exciting, personal insights into their many years of management experience. The program was supplemented by a visionary lecture by futurist Joël Luc Cachelin and a contribution by neuroscientist Dr. Barbara Studer, who spoke about brain fitness in everyday working life and at the same time tested the brain fitness of the participants at the conference.
42 new specialists for the cable car industry
Some participants had already demonstrated their brain fitness before the event and were now able to reap the fruits of their labour. Three newly qualified cable car managers, a federally certified cable car specialist and 26 cable car specialists as well as
12 specialists who successfully completed the highest possible training in the field of piste and rescue services received their certificates in Lugano. The graduates thus increase the number of important specialists in the cable car industry.
On the second and final day of the Swiss Cable Car Forum, participants will meet in various workshops on the topics of "AI, technologies to increase passenger safety?", "Water, snow and climate", "Winter market Germany - think about the future - act today" and "Sustainability communication made easy". The next Swiss Cable Car Forum will take place on October 28 and 29, 2025 in Rapperswil-Jona.
