More about "Best of the Alps" Best of the Alps - 13 sounding names like Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, St.Anton am Arlberg, Crans-Montana, Grindelwald, Kitzbühel, Zermatt, Seefeld, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Lech Zürs am Arlberg, Cortina D'Ampezzo, Courmayeur, St.Moritz, Megeve and Davos.

For over 25 years, this connection has existed between these 13 unique destinations in the Alps. Unspoiled nature and some of the most spectacular peaks in the world such as the Matterhorn, the Dolomites, Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau and Arlberg are part of it.

Each place has its own history and yet all places stand for cosmopolitanism and deep connection with the roots of the ancestors. All places were shaped by skiing, all places write stories and offer your guests a wonderful backdrop to stay. Especially the culinary, the way of life, the handicraft and design as well as all outdoor activities fit together wonderfully and are part of the philosophy, this union.

We would like to learn about this very special connection and have met with Mr. Sammy Salm, a native of Switzerland and Secretary General of this association. Best of the Alps is based in Grindelwald.

Sammy, can you give our readers a brief overview of how this Best of the Alps connection came about? - In the 80's the ski resorts in the Rocky Mountains started to advertise in Europe under the name 'Ski the Rockies'. This was the motivation of the founding fathers to promote skiing in the Alps to skiers in the United States. Without the Rockies, Best of the Alps might never have been created, or it might have been created much later.

Why were these resorts chosen? - It was clear pretty quickly to make the classic ski destinations palatable to the potential skier in order to clearly differentiate themselves from the man-made ski resorts in North America. The conditions for membership were: naturally grown resorts with a long history (both as a resort and as a ski destination), all of which were pioneers in winter sports; venues of classics or major events (Olympic Games, World Ski Championships, Hahnenkamm, Kandahar races, etc.); high internationality; year-round destinations; well-known tourism brands (they didn't call them that back then) and, based on all these facts, authenticity. On the basis of these parameters, the 11 founding locations (Megève was added later) were chosen rather quickly.

There is a meeting of all the places several times a year, surely not easy to get all the CEOs around the table? - Getting them around the table is not that difficult, because they are all behind the idea. Of course, the challenge is greater today than it used to be, because the locations have now positioned themselves more strongly individually and no longer all pursue the same strategies to a large extent. It takes the skill of the president in office to reconcile all the interests.

Sammy, what is the goal of Best of the Alps? - To convince the 12 resorts in the defined target markets or the visitors that the, I call them Originals, i.e. original inventors of winter tourism, are always the resorts that offer the guest the most complete, interesting and ultimately the best and most authentic offer and thus stand out from the competition.

Can places still be included? - In principle, places can be included if they meet the previously mentioned conditions.

Are there differences in mentality after Austria, Germany, Switzerland and France meet here? - There definitely are. But these are by no means disturbing, rather they are stimulating. Something that could certainly be strengthened in the common ground.

What does your job as Secretary General look like, you are certainly on the road a lot? - That's exactly how it is. On the one hand through the trips abroad in our target markets, on the other hand through the various events in the member towns in which Best of the Alps is involved. In addition, there are, for example, journalist support and regular meetings with existing and potential new cooperation partners.

How do you relax after a hard day at work? - I am in the fortunate position of being able to relax in many ways. Be it in the evening at home with a good movie or in the theater, at a meeting or dinner with friends, of course during activities in the mountains or nature, but actually also during an evening car ride through the Alps, or even better in my free time on my motorcycle. Partly even on the plane, when I fly over continents and look at the earth from above, so preferably always window seat.

What news can you tell our readers about Best of the Alps? - The newest and most exciting thing at the moment is definitely the new Best of the Alps homepage. We have radically changed the concept and said goodbye to the classic and so far static information page. Instead, we tell interesting and very personal stories of the protagonists who stand behind the place names or fill them with life and ultimately ensure that the places are authentic, livable and sustainable. In this way, our website aims to increase interest among potential visitors, retain existing customers, but also provide residents with insights into the local way of life.

Click here for Best of the Alps locations and even more stories from Best of the Alps locations.

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Kitzbühel – Best of the Alps

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Sammy Salm