Belief in the future and a deep concern for their own village were the driving forces behind the founding of the Cooperative for the Promotion of Tourism Infrastructure in Bellwald.

“In a year, I’ll have about three million francs ready for you. I don’t have a single cent yet, but I’ll get it together.”
How would you react to such a statement today? Exactly—you’d likely dismiss it as empty talk, a fairytale spun from bold words and wishful thinking.

And yet, that’s exactly what the founders of the cooperative declared on February 8, 1976. They promised the then ski lift company PUMAG a sum of 500,000 Swiss francs to help expand the lift system in Bellwald.

Empty talk? Not at all.
The cooperative kept its word within a year. It convinced many who cared deeply about Bellwald and successfully raised the necessary funds. The lifts were expanded, and Bellwald’s rapid development as a tourism destination began.

At the time, the municipality of Bellwald and private businesses were financially unable to meet the demands of the village’s rapid tourism growth. In the early 1970s, the number of guest beds in Bellwald multiplied within a short period. It quickly became clear in the mountain village that the infrastructure couldn’t keep up without additional financial support.

There were no legal means to require property owners or developers to contribute to the growth of the resort.

“So we had to create our own bank to kick-start the funding of essential projects,”
one of the founders recalls. The idea: each person should invest 500 francs per guest bed in the cooperative's capital. This money would go toward developing and expanding the village’s tourism offerings—something that would, in turn, benefit every property owner.

“It wasn’t easy convincing people to give 500 francs per guest bed to the cooperative,”
another founder remembers.
“But we believed in the mission. Together, we succeeded in persuading locals, tradespeople, and chalet owners from near and far that this money wouldn’t benefit the cooperative—it would benefit them personally.”

Members of various local associations even went door-to-door to inform and inspire the community.

Within a year, more than 400,000 Swiss francs in capital had been raised. This laid the foundation for the cooperative’s long-term success—success that would significantly shape the future of Bellwald as a holiday destination.