According to the Graubünden 2010 economic model, the canton of Graubünden is to become the leading vacation region in the Alps with high-quality tourism products. The Office of Economic Affairs and Tourism and the Non-Road Transport Department of the Civil Engineering Office have launched a project with the aim of positioning Graubünden as a leading provider of nature-based recreation with the sports of mountain biking, hiking, Nordic walking, winter hiking and other human-powered mobility activities.

In a first step, the bike tourism specialists from "Allegra Tourismus" drew up a concrete concept for the focus on mountain biking. In interviews with the tourist destinations and other service providers, the current situation and needs were recorded, goals defined and concrete measures proposed. With a total of 3.6 million Swiss francs, including personal contributions from those involved, around 30 measures are to be implemented between 2010 and 2013. Binding quality standards and standardized tools play an important role, allowing the individual destinations to further develop and market their specific offerings to a high standard under the Graubünden label.

The concept met with a positive response during the wide-ranging consultation process in the canton. At the end of March, the government approved the project submitted by the specialist department for non-motorized traffic and approved a maximum total contribution of CHF 1.5 million with funds from the federal government's new regional policy. The Graubünden Foundation for Innovation, Development and Research initially pledged CHF 500,000. A further substantial contribution is promised if the project is successful. An advisory board set up by the Office of Economy and Tourism with members from the tourism industry and a representative of Graubünden's environmental organizations will closely monitor the project.

The project has now been launched under the management of the Office for Non-motorized Traffic. In a first step, an external project management team will prioritize the measures for the first implementation phase 2010 - 2011 and then work out these in detail with measure-specific working groups. It should be possible to implement the first concrete measures as early as the 2011 summer season.

Source: Press release Canton Graubünden