Courier April/May Courier | Page 53

ZERMATT , SWITZERLAND

NTA contact : Amadé Perrig Office phone : + 1.623.388.3351 Website : zermatt . ch NTA member since : 2007

What makes Zermatt such a special place ? The Matterhorn and the car-free village . Zermatt has been free of cars since anyone can remember . People get around on foot , by horse-drawn carriage and with electric cars . Zermatt is a mountain village with cosmopolitan charm , clean air and a unique atmosphere .

What are some must-see sites and attractions for travelers ? The Matterhorn glacier paradise ( Klein Matterhorn ); Kulmhotel Gornergrat , the highest hotel in the Swiss Alps ; and the Gornergrat Bahn , the highest openair cogwheel railway in Europe , which takes you in 45 minutes from Zermatt up to the 10,135-foot-high Gornergrat .

After going through aromatic stone pine and larch forests and across alpine meadows full of flowers , you arrive in the midst of 29 snow-covered mountains , including the Matterhorn .

What ’ s your favorite season in Zermatt ? I prefer the summer season . The summer in Zermatt is colorful , and the weather is mostly wonderful . It ’ s great for sightseeing and offers many sporting activities .

Is there anything new you ’ re promoting in the area ? Zermatt Bergbahnen AG is planning to complete the world ’ s highest 3S gondola lift by the 2018 – 19 winter season . The new lift to the Klein Matterhorn will be significantly quicker and more comfortable , and it will increase the carrying capacity to Europe ’ s highest cable-car station by 2,000 passengers per hour .

What are your hobbies ? My hobbies are in sports , especially skiing , hiking , biking and golf .

Have you binged on a good TV series lately ? “ Wheel of Fortune ,” because I know Pat and Vanna . Recently , the show featured Switzerland and Zermatt for an entire week and aired across the United States !

For more information , contact Perrig at amade . perrig @ zermatt . ch .

RAPID CITY , SOUTH DAKOTA

NTA contact : Michelle Thomson , CTP , president and CEO

Office phone : + 1.605.355.3603 Website : blackhillsbadlands . com NTA member since : 1980

What makes the Badlands so bad ? ( And by that we mean good .) The Badlands are an incredible , otherworldly place — a harsh but amazing landscape that seems to go on and on , with colors changing depending on the time of day . The Lakota people were the first to call this area “ bad .” They called it “ Mako Sica ,” which means “ land bad .” While the Badlands may seem bad , they are an experience I would recommend for any visitor to the region .

What are the top three types of groups that you work with ? We work with a lot of senior groups in the Black Hills and Badlands region . It ’ s always fun to talk to our senior visitors , who are either reliving a childhood vacation to the area or checking off a stop on a bucket list . Other top groups are international groups , and we are starting to get more groups with grandparents touring with their grandchildren .

How long have you been in the area ? I have lived in the Black Hills and Badlands region most of my life . I ’ ve been fortunate to travel to amazing destinations in my tour and travel career , and I ’ m always happy to return to this amazing place .

What ’ s your favorite thing to do in your free time ? I enjoy experiencing the Black Hills — on four wheels , two wheels or on foot . It ’ s incredible to me that after all of the years I have lived here and explored this destination , I ’ ve not come anywhere close to seeing it all . Whether it is experiencing our attractions , winding our scenic roads on motorcycle , or

four-wheeling and hiking the back roads , there is always something new to see .

Name a movie you have watched an embarrassing number of times . “ It ’ s a Wonderful Life ”

For more information , contact Thomson at michelle @ blackhillsbadlands . com .