Direct contact with guests at the Tourist Centre counter, organising and running media trips, looking after the Instagram and Facebook social media channels, helping with events, bookkeeping and much more. The work at a tourism organisation is varied. And so the apprentices at Jungfrau Region Tourismus AG (JRT) also benefit from a varied training programme. Here they tell us about their day-to-day working lives. Today we're talking to Denise Holtkamp. The 17-year-old from Matten is training to become a commercial clerk HGT profile E. She tells us about the first few months of her apprenticeship, which she spent at the Mürren Tourismus counter.

"Some people might already be jealous of my commute to work. First I cycle from Matten to Wilderswil. From there I take the train to Lauterbrunnen, then the cable car to Grütschalp. On the way, I can watch the sunrise over the Lauterbrunnen valley. I then take the train to Mürren. Looking out of the window, I can see the triad of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.

My name is Denise Holtkamp and I'm doing a commercial apprenticeship with Jungfrau Region Tourismus AG. I'm in the first year of my apprenticeship, which I'm doing in Mürren. I opted for a commercial apprenticeship because I like working in an office. The team at Mürren Tourismus is really great, and I'm happy to be part of it. And my work here is very varied. At the Tourist Office counter, we're also responsible for the sports centre with wellness, fitness, ice rink and indoor pool, as well as a hotel. In summer, I have to answer a lot of questions about Mürren's hiking trails - or take bookings for certain activities, such as a tour of the village. In winter, almost everything revolves around skiing and tobogganing. I sell ski passes or give advice on certain slopes. This suits me perfectly. I often ski in Mürren myself, so I know the area very well.

From the ice disco to the Inferno Triathlon

Another focal point are the numerous events that take place in and around Mürren. From an ice disco to the Inferno ski race and the Inferno triathlon. The ice disco is held in winter on the ice rink at the sports centre - catering included. The Inferno ski race covers 14.9 kilometres from the Schilthorn to Winteregg, and in good snow conditions even as far as Lauterbrunnen. 1850 participants take on the course. The fastest runners need 15 minutes for the descent. The Inferno Triathlon takes place in summer. It starts in Thun with the swim to Oberhofen, then continues by racing bike via Meiringen to Grindelwald and then by mountain bike via Kleine Scheidegg to Stechelberg. Finally, I finish on foot via Mürren to the finish line on the Schilthorn. I am also on site at all these events.

Fulfilling the wishes of the guests

The visitor's tax is also paid at our counter. I settle them and then issue the guest card. We also have lots of posters and books that we sell here. And as already mentioned, we also look after a hotel. I do the check-in and check-out. And I take bookings. I try to fulfil the guests' wishes as much as possible. The counter is open daily from 8.30 am to 7.30 pm. We work an early and a late shift. The early shift runs from 7.50 am to 5.30 pm, the late shift from 9.30 am to 7 pm, and in winter from 10.30 am to 8 pm. When I'm on early shift, the first thing I do is collect the post and then get everything ready for myself and the guests. That means I start up the cash desk, start up all the systems, fill up brochures, clean the counter area and put up the daily news and, in winter, the snow reports. Then I process the incoming mail. During the day, when no one is at the counter, I do smaller tasks such as filing sheets, creating new templates or reordering brochures. Just whatever comes up. At the end of each month, I enter our events for the following month on the Bödeli TV info channel. I enter the date and time as well as a description in German and English. And I put up various information at seven locations in the village - for example the current calendar of events or individual flyers for special events. I really enjoy putting up the notices because I'm out in the fresh air and Mürren is a beautiful village.

One last inspection tour

When I'm on late shift, I write the daily news, i.e. I enter the events for the next day and the day after that. We then put these up at the front counter as information for the guests. Afterwards, I do the cash desk closing, tidy up my workstation, clean the coffee machine and at the very end I check that all the doors are closed. Then I get back on the train towards Grütschalp, travel past the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, take the gondola down into the picturesque Lauterbrunnen Valley and then the train to Wilderswil, where my bike is already waiting for me.

Jungfrau Region Tourismus AG offers two apprenticeships every year. During the three-year HGT E-profile apprenticeship, the apprentices work for one and a half years each at the head office in Interlaken (marketing/accounting) and in the tourist centres (Grindelwald and either Meiringen or Mürren).