Zermatt Inside 2024 - 3b - English Translation and Summary

Summary of significant articles

The new Matterhorn-Express valley station is nearing completion, with a new glass canopy being installed to protect the entrance area.
A luggage counter has opened at the valley station, allowing guests to check their bags for CHF 20.00 and travel with only hand luggage.
A special "Rooftop Ride" offers an open-air balcony experience on the cable car between Zermatt and Furi for an additional CHF 10.00.
The SnowXperience Plateau Rosa at Testa Grigia provides beginner skiing, snowboarding, and snow-tubing in a high-alpine environment.
To celebrate the first anniversary on June 30, 2024, guests will receive a 50% discount on cable car tickets for the crossing.

After three years of construction, the first phase of the new "Niww Walka" school building was inaugurated on April 12, 2024.
The building features an open, versatile, and modern design intended to foster a positive learning environment while architecturally fitting into the village.
An open house event on April 13 attracted over 500 members of the community, who toured the new classrooms and facilities.
The final phase of the project, which includes implementing full-day structures, is scheduled for completion in August 2025.

The department is structured into five core areas: Regional Police, Protection and Rescue, Community Command Staff, Natural Hazard Coordination, and Administrative Police.
The Regional Police enforce traffic rules for the car-free village, handle transport escorts, and ensure public order.
The Protection and Rescue division includes fire prevention, where a safety officer inspects all construction projects, and the emergency response of the fire brigade.
The Administrative Police manages permits for events, businesses, and special vehicles, while also handling noise regulations and operating the lost and found office.
A dedicated coordinator for natural hazards monitors risks like avalanches and floods, manages trail closures, and reviews building plans in hazard zones.

From August 16 to 24, 2024, the Coop Open Air Cinema will be held at a new location at Leisee, near the Sunnegga station.
The event combines film screenings with a spectacular natural backdrop, including views of the Matterhorn.
Special evening cable car rides from Zermatt to Sunnegga will be available for a discounted price, as regular season passes are not valid for these extra trips.
In case of bad weather, screenings will be moved indoors to the Kino Vernissage.

A new fast-casual restaurant named "Tiger Bowl" has opened in the Gornergrat station building, offering Asian fusion cuisine.
The menu focuses on healthy, quick rice-based bowls and snacks to cater to international visitors seeking a fast meal.
This opening is part of a larger modernization of the culinary offerings on Gornergrat by the Matterhorn Group, which includes other restaurant renovations.
The restaurant demonstrates a commitment to sustainability by using exclusively biodegradable tableware.

Zermatt Tourism is pursuing the "Swisstainable" destination label, a national program from the Swiss Tourism Association promoting sustainable tourism.
To achieve this, a critical mass of local tourism businesses must also become certified under the program's three-level system.
The program helps businesses assess their sustainability efforts, provides marketing benefits, and positions them as responsible operators.
Benefits for participating businesses include increased visibility on MySwitzerland.com and access to a network of sustainable partners.

Zermatt Tourism has introduced the "Qsome" ticketing system to manage queues at its main tourist office.
Guests can now take a numbered ticket and wait comfortably in the office instead of standing in line, being called to a desk via a large screen.
A unique feature allows guests to select their preferred language for consultation from the languages spoken by staff currently on duty.
The system aims to improve the guest experience by reducing wait times and allowing for higher quality, less rushed consultations.

CareNet is an organization providing psychosocial emergency support, founded in 2003 by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and Zermatt Bergbahnen.
Trained volunteer "Caregivers" offer emotional and practical help to individuals immediately following a potentially traumatic event.
The organization has recently been reorganized and is recruiting new members, who undergo a certified five-day training program led by professional emergency psychologists.
Caregivers are deployed for both small-scale incidents, like supporting a family after an unexpected death, and large-scale events.

Bruno Jelk is a legendary Zermatt rescuer known for his humility, dedication, and numerous inventions that have improved mountain rescue.
His innovations include the "Jelk Pole," a specialized tripod for crevasse rescues, and pioneering the Longline rescue technique for helicopters.
Jelk was instrumental in fostering international cooperation, organizing a landmark training course in 1987 that brought together rescuers from Switzerland, Italy, and France.
He also served as a safety expert on film projects, ensuring the security of crews in the high-alpine environment.

Zermatt will host the Switzerland Travel Mart (STM) in the fall of 2025 and the Swiss Holiday Day (Schweizer Ferientag) in April 2026.
The STM is Switzerland's most important incoming travel trade show, connecting hundreds of international buyers with Swiss tourism providers.
The Swiss Holiday Day is the largest annual networking event for the Swiss tourism industry, bringing together up to 1,400 key figures.
Hosting these events offers Zermatt a major opportunity to showcase its offerings to the national and international tourism industry.