Pioneers of Sustainability - Fabienne Anthamatten
In the series "Pioneers of Sustainability", Green Pearls® regularly introduces hoteliers whose commitment drives sustainable development in tourism on a daily basis and who continue to inspire with new ideas. Fabienne Anthamatten, managing director and owner of Hotel Bella Vista Zermatt and dedicated to sustainability from the moment she breathed her first breath, is the featured hotelier of this part of the series.
Sustainable thinking from the very first brick
Fabienne's grandparents built the property in 1962, where it was a “just” a humble hotel. Her grandmother looked after the guests, and her grandfather was a farmer and shepherd and often a mountain guide. When Fabienne's parents took over the Bella Vista in the 1970s, where they gradually transformed it into a crown jewel. The breakfast buffet - which was unusual and innovative for the time - included homemade delicacies, fresh fruit and loose-leaf teas from the garden. But what has remained from the founding generation to this day and runs like a red thread through the family philosophy is the warm care of the guests.
In addition to deep-rooted warmheartedness and hospitality, sustainable thinking and action also shaped Fabienne's childhood. She can well remember how her parents always reminded her to separate waste, even to completely avoid it if possible, and to only take as much food as they could eat. Fabienne and her two sisters helped in the garden to gather berries to make jam – everything was recycled, be it from an animal or a plant. In short, Fabienne was born with an appreciation for nature and sustainability.
The 3rd generation takes responsibility
The three sisters - Christine, Fabienne and Stefanie - have been involved in the business from an early age and gradually followed in their parents' footsteps before Fabienne finally took over the management of the hotel in 2017. For Fabienne, what lasts has value - and she is acutely aware of the great responsibility towards her fellow human beings and the environment. Her daily motivation: the love of nature and the region. Her motto in life: 'Deeds not words'. That is why the use of hydroelectric power, regional products from the neighbours, breakfast eggs from their own chickens or the avoidance of unnecessary packaging and plastic bottles are now an integral part of the hotel business. With many ideas, both large and small, in her daily work, Fabienne is laying the foundation for a sustainable future. Because the Hotel Bella Vista Zermatt is a project close to her heart!
With commitment to the future
Fabienne is on the board of the Zermatt Hoteliers' Association and advocates for a sustainable way of thinking that also questions long-established traditions. In her private life, the nature-loving hotel manager and child of the mountains spends a lot of time in the Zermatt Alps. Once a year, she makes a trip to the Gorner Glacier with her family to measure how far it has receded. "We are observing a great change here in the Alps, which obliges us to handle our resources carefully and to set priorities on the essentials - on the necessities of life!" And that’s exactly what she does!
