Thomy Vetterli is the product manager of the "Mountainbike Zentralschweiz" project as well as managing director and president of the Wolfenschiessen-Engelbergertal Tourism Association. He is something like the prince who is supposed to kiss Central Switzerland awake as a mountain bike region. That's a lot of work, but Vetterli has had a tailwind since last fall. Thanks to the bike initiative. The Swiss electorate voted by a clear majority in favor of the initiative, which writes cycling into the federal constitution in the same way as hiking did in the past. He will explain what this means for his everyday life at the Ride Congress in Davos in mid-September, but already gives a first insight in this interview.

How does the "Mountainbike Zentralschweiz" project intend to achieve its ambitious goal of becoming one of the most attractive bike regions in Switzerland? That is the long-term vision. It also took Graubünden fifteen years to develop the bike offerings for which it is famous today. We don't have many trails yet, but Central Switzerland has a lot to offer in terms of scenery.

What is actually happening in this project?
We are developing the cantonal concepts that will be incorporated into the structure plans. The Federal Cycling Decree requires, among other things, that the legal situation of mountain bikes on hiking trails be clarified. The project also networks existing bike offers and supports the stakeholders in promoting the entire mountain bike destination of Central Switzerland.Is the Federal Cycling Decree the real driving force behind the project?
No, the project started almost a year before the vote. But with its acceptance, the excuse that there was no political mandate to clarify the situation between cyclists and pedestrians no longer applies. All cantons must now take a stand. Mountain bikers and hikers are now treated equally by law, but they do not enjoy the same status.How do hikers and landowners feel about Central Switzerland now becoming a mountain bike Mecca?
Neither hikers, mountain bikers nor landowners are looking for conflict. Almost everyone is happy that we are tackling the issue, clarifying the situation and providing relief.Should mountain bikers be legalized or canalized?
The long-term goal is for bikers to be able to ride legally on existing footpaths. In the beginning, however, we will have to channel them. This is the only way to achieve sufficient acceptance to be able to tackle legalization. We have an exceptional concentration of hikers in certain areas such as Pilatus, Rigi and Stanserhorn. We don't need mountain bikers there too! It's a great opportunity for them if 80 percent of hikers are concentrated on 20 percent of Central Switzerland's hiking trails at times.When will bikers be able to effectively make use of new offers?
The aim is to implement further infrastructure this year, in addition to the flow trails in Marbach and Engelberg, the Giswil Bike Arena and route projects in Schwyz, Lucerne, Engelberg and Melchsee-Frutt. However, it is not just about trails but also about the service sector, the hotel industry and gastronomy - for example, that hotel owners know which routes they recommend and that they have access to bike guides. Another idea is a network of charging stations for bike batteries to make the investment cheaper for individual businesses. In recent years, hoteliers have not seen enough of the overall offer. Now they are realizing that the offer must grow throughout Central Switzerland so that bikers also stay here. Up to now, we have only been a day destination, but that is set to change.