FTD-Serie: Serie Business English

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Business English: Swiss skiing village emerges from cold war time warp

Once visited by the likes of Goethe and Queen Victoria, Andermatt has been caught in a time warp. While other ski resorts have grown beyond recognition, the small village of 1,300 people and only one main street has barely changed. von Haig Simonian

An Egyptian billionaire is planning to invest millions of dollars in a sleepy skiing village on top of Switzerland's cold war bunkers. In one of the most expensive tourist projects in Europe, Samih Sawiris plans to spend up to $500m to make Andermatt a new tourist hotspot. Once visited by the likes of Goethe and Queen Victoria, Andermatt has been caught in a time warp. While other ski resorts have grown beyond recognition, the small village of 1,300 people and one main street has barely changed. Andermatt and its surroundings have altered - but invisibly. Over decades, the long flat valley became one of the most militarised regions in ostensibly neutral Switzerland. For much of the 20th century Andermatt was Switzerland's ultimate redoubt. That rationale ebbed with détente and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The army shifted to humanitarian missions and international peacekeeping. The toughest blow came last year when the army announced 800 job cuts and the closure of its firing range. Although that may not sound like much, it was an earthquake for Uri, Switzerland's third-smallest canton, which, with a population of only 34,000, is the administrative region for Andermatt. The population at the top of the valley leading to the Gotthard pass has fallen by 20 per cent in recent years. While people try commuting at first, most leave eventually. But the army's withdrawal spelled an opportunity for Andermatt. The scope for big new construction projects in the Alps is virtually nil, and environmental concerns have increased. Details of the project are secret. But the broad outlines of what the 48-year-old Mr Sawiris has in mind are clear. "We'll need to have 800 rooms immediately for critical mass," he says. Although most of the resort will be located on the former army property flanking Andermatt, a flagship hotel will be built in the village. Holiday apartments and villas will feature alongside the hotels. All will have lavish leisure facilities, including a giant indoor swimming pool with an artificial beach, tennis courts and what Mr Sawiris hopes will be the finest golf course in the Alps. The locals have applauded. Almost all recognise the need for jobs to fill the vacuum left by the army. Eventually, Andermatt may again feature as a top tourist destination and not a foreign general's target.

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