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she says. “And 96% of the local population voted in
favour of the project.”
One who didn’t is local doctor Andreas von
Schulthess, who has repeatedly spoken out against the
development. “The size is absolutely brutal,” he says.
“Andermatt will lose its charm.” He believes the resort
will be spoilt, not just by the scale of development, but
by the influx of mass tourism.
However, according to Bänz Simmen, owner of
the town’s Kiosk 61 café, change is necessary for
Andermatt’s survival. He says villagers not in favour
are ignoring the fact the town was dying. “Since the
army left, business has fallen. Also, the development
isn’t just creating new tourist facilities, it’s upgrading
all the infrastructure, such as the railway connections.”
Simmen feels that reduced enthusiasm among locals
may be due to the project’s size, now in its first phase
of construction. “It suddenly seems much bigger than
many people imagined.”
The recent announcement of a huge extension to the
ski area has caused further debate. Franz Steinegger,
president of the Andermatt Gotthard ski-lift company,
is unhappy about the speed of construction, claiming
it’s too much, too quickly. And the Swiss Alpine
Club, which consults with other local environmental
organisations, has concerns about the sustainability of
the planned infrastructure.
“We’re not against modernisation of the resort,”
says Thomas Gurtner, the club’s environmental
spokesperson. “But we are concerned about the
addition of a new ski-lift infrastructure to the St Anna
Glacier. This is a high-value mountain landscape and
should remain unchanged.” Gurtner says there are
also worries over plans to connect Andermatt with the
neighbouring resort of Sedrun. “The main problem
is the number of additional slopes, which means
flattening huge areas, plus the installation of a new
infrastructure for snow cannons and their water-
supply system. This will impact heavily on the area’s
beauty.” Without the approval of local environmental
groups, Gurtner says Orascom can’t claim to have full
backing for the project. “They want to build a year-
round resort, but you can’t enjoy a summer landscape
of flattened areas and out-of-action machinery. It’s
wrong to damage a landscape purely for skiing.”
It’s a conflict of opinion that’s virtually impossible
to reconcile right now. But what’s certain is that it will
open up the area for those looking to buy property in
Switzerland. Orascom benefits from special status,
granted by the Swiss government, that enables it to sell
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