LITTLE SWITZERLAND — Emerald Village, the local mining tourist attraction, is one of TripAdvisor’s 2020 Traveler’s Choice Winners.
Emerald Village Owner and Operator Alan Schabilion said it’s wonderful to receive the honor, but not necessarily surprising.
“It’s recognition for something we’ve known all along,” he said. “We’ve worked hard over these 40 years and put everything into it as we go, so it’s nice to get some recognition for all of the hard work.”
Emerald Village was opened in 1980 by Schabilion’s father Robert “Bob” Schabilion, a “pioneer in the gem and mineral field.” Schabilion said his father spent years looking for the right place to start a mining attraction and when he found the area in Little Switzerland with 12 abandoned mines, he knew it would be the place to start the business.
“When we first came here these were just old, abandoned mines,” Schabilion said. “There were no buildings, it was all flooded and you couldn’t get into them. The history was slipping away and that was what was important to us to save. Our mission is to preserve the mining history and share it.”
Through an array of attractions, from the Mining Museum to gold panning, Emerald Village has done just that. According to Schabilion, the attraction draws about 20,000 people each year.
“We’re very lucky to be able to bring in so many people way out here,” he said. “I think we just have a really unique experience that you can’t find anywhere else.”
Due to the ongoing pandemic, however, Emerald Village hasn’t seen as much traffic as they normally would. While they are usually open from early April to late October, they weren’t able to open any part of the village until this past July.
“Obviously this year is different with the coronavirus, but we’re making it work,” he said. “We haven’t been able to open all of our attractions and we have to operate at half capacity, but we’re going to make it. We’ve been through tough times before and we’ll be through tough times again.”
While continuing to preserve the past, though, Schabilion is looking to the future.
“We’ve got a lot of recognition over the years, but, everywhere I look I see where we need to improve,” he said. “We’re a family business at our core. Three of my children work here, several of my grandchildren. We’re working on the fourth generation now and I hope it continues on for several more generations.”
Each year, TripAdvisor sifts through reviews and ratings from travelers across the globe and they use that information to award the honor of traveler’s choice. According to TripAdvisor, Emerald Village is in the top 10 percent of attractions worldwide.
“What I think is even more important than the award are the reviews and what people are saying about us,” Schabilion said. “That’s the validation we prefer, really. We love to make an impact on people with this place.”