Christian Keller is currently traveling with a bike tour group in northern Italy, starting in Salzburg and finishing in Venice. "I'm excited to see an empty Venice," he says thoughtfully. The atmosphere in Italy is strange, the man from eastern Switzerland describes on the phone. "Everyone is relaxed on the bikes, you don't notice anything about corona. But in the evening at the hotel, you see all the people with face masks and it comes back to you."
Christian Keller runs the travel company mountainbikereisen.ch together with his wife Nadja. They have been offering guided multi-day tours all over the world since 1986. The company specializes in long-distance tours: The Himalayas, South America, South Africa, China - the travel-loving and affluent Swiss clientele responds well to the offer: exotic destinations with Swiss guides and organized in Swiss quality.
When news of the spread of the coronavirus in China arrived at the beginning of the year, Christian Keller thought nothing bad. "We experienced SARS and swine flu, neither of which had a major impact on our business." In mid-March, he had to cancel all air travel. In April, he was still convinced that the spook would soon be over. "It wasn't until May that I realized: now it's getting serious." The long-haul travel business, the company's main source of income, was shut down and remains so to this day.

The real victims

The pioneer of Himalayan mountain bike tours took Swiss tours out of the drawer that had previously been offered: Jura, Lake Constance-Lake Geneva, various Transalp tours. Christian and Nadja Keller and their guides also created new multi-day routes. The increased demand for tours in Switzerland was also felt by mountainbikereisen.ch. "But what has been lost due to the complete loss of long-distance tours is far from compensated for."
Nevertheless, the Keller couple and their three children are not in dire straits. "My wife and I are the only permanent employees, which is why we are making ends meet for the time being, even on a reduced scale. The guides are freelancers, and we can give them far fewer orders." mountainbikereisen.ch has accepted a Covid loan and modest support for the self-employed and company owners. When asked about the drop in turnover, he thinks for a moment and then estimates that his company will probably make 60 percent less turnover in 2020 than in previous years. He has stopped many investments, stopped printing brochures, pushed ahead with digitalization and cut costs where possible.
The situation of his partners, for example in Nepal, northern India and South Africa, is far more dramatic. "I speak to them regularly on the phone. What they are experiencing in their countries is a tragedy. Our partners in Nepal, for example, are making ends meet because the cost of living is low. On the other hand, we support our long-standing partner in South Africa financially because otherwise they would no longer exist when we are able to travel again." The situation in the destination countries touches him: "We have been working with our partners in Nepal for 20 years, with those in northern India for 34 years, it's more than a business relationship, we are a family!"

Back to pre-corona levels?

As soon as the borders reopened, mountainbikereisen.ch started offering tours in neighboring countries. "Customers are reluctant to book tours abroad. If the number of cases goes up in one country, we have cancellations; conversely, bookings are made as soon as fewer infections are reported in one country." Travel arrangements require flexibility in these times, both from providers and guests. "If a country is put on the quarantine list, we have to cancel the trip, which is a no-go for us. That's why we often have to keep our customers waiting until we decide whether and where to ride. The fact that they put up with this and remain loyal to us is one of the pleasing experiences of this time." Refunds are also part of day-to-day business. Anyone who wanted their money back received it immediately and in full.
Christian Keller was amazed when several customers booked a trip to Nepal in the middle of the lockdown. In principle, there is interest in overseas trips, he says, and there are certainly requests for large trips. For him and his wife, however, there is no question of offering such trips this year. The risk of getting stranded at the airport en route or on departure is too great.
In recent months, airlines and major travel providers have repeatedly stated that there will probably be even fewer flights and fewer overseas trips. The travel entrepreneur says: "I support the trend of traveling more consciously, traveling less frequently but for longer. But the way travel is being maligned in the climate debate doesn't go far enough. Travel is a great thing! My private travels have given me so much to take home with me. I want my children to be able to have these experiences too." Christian Keller then refers to the fact that many people in poor countries live from tourism: "Without their income from tourism, hundreds of thousands of people around the world lose their livelihoods, you have to see that too."
For now, Christian and Nadja Keller are focused on getting their business up and running again. "We and most of our partners would probably be able to operate long-haul tours again immediately. The question will be whether we can bring enough large groups together despite the uncertainty and whether the airlines can guarantee stable flight schedules." The company owner is reassured by conversations with customers. "People want to travel. The need for adventure has perhaps become even greater. And finally, people who book mountain bike trips know how to deal with risks. They know that you can't have both: Adventure and absolute safety. The world belongs to the brave."