HERMANN FERCHER
The Tyrolean Hermann Fercher initially was responsible for the tourism associations of Kirchberg in Tyrol (1986-1993) and Kitzbühel (1993-1996) as their CEO, before taking a break in the tourism sector: for the following twelve years he worked in different, but always leading positions in marketing for Swarovski Optik in Absam/Tyrol, before returning to his roots in tourism 2011:
Since the 1st of January 2011 Hermann Fercher is director and CEO of the tourism board of Lech Zürs Ltd.
Supplementary, he is the current honorary president of the international marketing group “Best Of The Alps with 13 of the most remarkable destinations in the Alps, capturing and promoting their particular spirit: Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Courmayeur, Crans-Montana, Davos, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Grindelwald, Kitzbühel, Lech Zürs am Arlberg, Megève, Seefeld, St. Anton am Arlberg and St. Moritz.
Hermann’s private interests are - according to living in the Alps - hiking and skiing, but also playing gulf, reading and cookery.
Why do you value crafts and handmade products?
I am from a craftsmen family. My father was an electrician, his brothers were carpenters, blacksmiths, turners. Good handicraft always has something "honest and authentic" and these characteristics belong to a personality or also to a brand like "Lech Zürs".
Is there a future in craftsmanship?
Yes, definitely. The magic words are "handmade" or "homemade". Therefore, a large part of our guests is willing to pay a little more. This applies for the “Apfelstrudel” (apple strudel) just as much as for a pair of fine shoes.
What could a crafts future look like?
In my opinion, the crafts of the future will always be closely linked to the crafts of the past. Perhaps new materials, themes or designs will play a role, but valuable materials such as leather, wood, linen, gold etc. will still play an important role of the various crafts in the future.