Trento, 16.12.2024 - A pool coordinated by Cassa Centrale Banca supports SITC S.p.A. with a loan of € 30 million. The company was founded in 1947 and operates in the mountain tourism sector in Val di Fassa. The loan is intended for the replacement of the “Campitello - Col Rodella” cable car that connects the town of Campitello di Fassa with the Sella Ronda ski circuit, the backbone of winter and summer tourism for Canazei.
The technologically advanced system will more than double the transport capacity, which will increase from the current 1,000 people/hour (p/h) to around 2,200 p/h, with a consequent reduction in waiting times at the downstream and upstream stations and at the same time encouraging the use of the cable car instead of travelling by road to access other cableway systems in the upper part of the Val di Fassa.
A total investment of around € 60 million for a national-level state-of-the-art gondola lift with “3S” three-wire technology, with automatic detachment of vehicles. The route will remain unchanged with respect to that of the current cable car, with a length of 2,566 metres and a difference in height of 981 metres. The real innovation lies in the transport vehicles: the two gondolas with a capacity of 120 people each will be replaced by 18 gondolas, each with a capacity of 30 people.
The project involves a new downstream station, where the ski school and ticket office will be located, as well as an upstream station that will consist of a transparent structure and an underground part to best harmonise with the natural surroundings.
The operation, organised by the Corporate office team in Trento, coordinated by Luca Gretter in collaboration with the Management of the local Cassa Rurale Fassana, represented the confirmation of the important teamwork with 8 banks participating in the pool: 5 affiliated Casse Rurali from Trentino (FPB Cassa di Fassa Primiero Belluno, Cassa Rurale Val di Fiemme, Banca per il Trentino-Alto Adige, Cassa Rurale Alta Valsugana, Cassa Rurale Val di Non) and 3 regional Institutes (Cassa Centrale Raiffeisen, Mediocredito Trentino Alto Adige and Banca Popolare dell’Alto Adige Volksbank).
Letterio Merlino, Chief Lending Officer of Cassa Centrale Banca commented: “Thanks to this loan of € 30 million, our support to SITC S.p.A. is not limited to just the financial side, but represents a concrete commitment to the future of sustainable tourism in Val di Fassa. The new 3S cable car, in addition to making transport more efficient, will reduce the environmental impact, greatly improving the experience for all those who visit the Sella Ronda, both in summer and in winter”.
Daniele Dezulian, Chairman of SITC said: “We are satisfied with this initiative, which will once again help Val di Fassa enhance the quality of its offering linked to ski lifts. The new 3S system is the first of its kind in the Dolomiti Superski federation and will represent a technological flagship. The new cable car connection will improve the service for guests of the Val di Fassa who intend to reach the ski slopes and the ‘Sellaronda’ carousel in winter and the panoramic and hiking area of Col Rodella in summer, significantly reducing waiting times and with the goal of limiting the use of road transport to the Sella Pass. We are grateful to Cassa Centrale Banca and the local banks for their support in backing an important initiative of our Company, which aims to enhance the quality of tourist services”.