Flims, Laax, and Falera are clearly in favor of taking over the infrastructure on the mountain.

More than two-thirds of all eligible voters in Flims went to the polls and voted yes to a loan of two million Swiss francs with more than 85 percent in favor. At the municipal assemblies in Falera and Laax, the approval ratings were even higher, at over 93 percent. Weisse Arena Bergbahnen AG will now sell its mountain infrastructure to Finanz Infra AG, lease it back on a sale and leaseback basis, and continue to operate it for at least 30 years. Finanz Infra AG is currently two-thirds owned by the three municipalities, but will now be taken over by them in full.

"The results in all three municipalities are a huge joy!" says Christoph Schmidt, mayor of Flims. "The project was controversially discussed and brought a large number of voters to the municipal assemblies and to the polls. Now it has been accepted with a clarity that leaves no questions unanswered. The further development of our tourism industry requires cooperation between the public sector, businesses, and the population."

Franz Gschwend, mayor of Laax, is also delighted: "The clear results are a clear vote of confidence in the work of those responsible for the project and the three municipal councils. The municipalities, together with the Weisse Arena Group, have negotiated a balanced deal that has now received very clear approval. At the same time, however, the Weisse Arena Group has also received a vote of confidence: it has been working as a fair partner with the region for decades."

"I am overwhelmed that the approval rating is so high and that so many younger voters have shown such commitment to the project," says Norbert Good, mayor of Falera. "Young people were already very present at the two municipal assemblies in Falera and Laax, and now they have also voted in favor of the project in the ballot box in Flims. It is an important step forward for future generations."

For Reto Gurtner, President and Delegate of the Board of Directors of the Weisse Arena Group, the result is a source of great satisfaction: "The Weisse Arena has enabled the region to achieve a large part of its prosperity, and more than two-thirds of the jobs in tourism in the destination today depend directly or indirectly on the Weisse Arena. This success story was only possible because our company and the municipalities have been working together in partnership for more than half a century. The consolidation of infrastructure in the local Finanz Infra AG is a further step towards a positive future. Grazia fetg!"

Adrian Wolf, who spearheaded the project as project manager, is also relieved: "Twenty years ago, the municipalities and Weisse Arena broke new ground with the founding of Finanz Infra AG. The model has been very successful and has been copied many times. With the approval of the three municipalities, we can now extend this successful model from the snow-making facilities to the entire infrastructure on the mountain. I am convinced that this step will also serve as a model for other regions in the Alps."