On 1 January 2014, the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps CIPRA took over the international secretariat of the Via Alpina. Together both alpine-wide networks are working for more sustainable development in the Alps. Passionate hikers shall not be the only ones to benefit.
The takeover of the international secretariat by CIPRA International offers a chance to continue developing the tourist offer while also enriching it with the topics of sustainable development. With its over 60 years of experience in alpine conservation, its large network in politics, society and economy and its multilingualism, CIPRA complements optimally the competences of the existing partners from alpine associations, tourism and regional development.
In the future exciting ideas and projects shall thrive right and left of the long-distance trail. Dominik Siegrist, President of CIPRA and Professor for nature tourism at the Hochschule Rapperswil/CH adds: “The Via Alpina as uniting element of all the Alpine States is particularly interesting for the CIPRA.” Knowledge and topics in sustainable development can be put into practice, with the Via Alpina setting the link between the regions in all Alpine countries.
CIPRA takes over the international secretariat from the French association “Grande Traversée des Alpes” (GTA), which initiated the Via Alpina in 1999 and is still managing the French secretariat of the project.
