INTERLAKEN - Hotels in the Jungfrau region said occupancy recovered in the second week of January after thin numbers right after New Year. School holidays in parts of Germany and the Netherlands overlapped, filling trains to Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen.
Snow cover on the lower slopes was patchy. Higher glaciers and the usual snow-making kit kept the main pistes open. Operators have stopped promising a postcard winter at village altitude.
Staff remain the squeeze
Several houses still ran restaurants on reduced hours for lack of cooks. Cross-border staff from France and Italy are harder to house than to hire. The pattern is now part of the winter business plan, not a surprise.