Talks are taking place between Swiss Olympic and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the possibility of staging the Winter Olympics in the future.

In April, Swiss Olympic announced that it had advanced to the next stage in the bidding process after moving from "informal dialogue" to "continuous dialogue" with the IOC.

Amherd has previously been tight-lipped over the prospect of a Swiss bid but she has now pledged her support.

"Switzerland is a country passionate about sport and hosts many national and international events," said Renato Kalbermatten, a spokesperson for Amherd, in a report by Swiss radio station RTS.

"Viola Amherd is convinced that major international events can trigger lasting changes in society and the economy."

Swiss Olympic is examining the feasibility of a possible candidacy but insists its dialogue with the IOC "does not refer to a specific year" of the Games.

Christophe Dubi, the Olympic Games executive director of the IOC, recently welcomed Switzerland’s "long-term" approach after confirmation that it was one of six countries interested in hosting the Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

It is not yet known whether Switzerland will enter the race for 2030 but Amherd’s comments come just days after it emerged that the French Alpine regions of Auvergne Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur were investigating a joint bid for the Games in seven years’ time.

St. Moritz hosted the Winter Olympics in 1928 and 1948 but Switzerland has not staged the event since, despite its success in the Games and being the home country of the IOC.

The Swiss public refused to back a bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics because of fears over the costs following a vote in 2018.

Switzerland joined forces with France and Italy to bid for the 2030 edition only for Chamonix to rule itself out in January just a few hours after the proposal became public.

It has been reported by German-speaking Swiss newspaper Tagesanzeiger that a letter has been issued by Swiss Olympic to members saying that its potential candidacy had the support of the country’s winter sports associations.

The letter also reportedly states that it would not be necessary to build new facilities and the Games would benefit all sports in Switzerland.

Adolf Ogi, the former Swiss Sports Minister who was in charge of Sion’s failed bid for the 2006 Winter Olympics that went to Turin, has spoken of his optimism of the country playing host in 2030.

"Switzerland could hold the Winter Olympics tomorrow if it is based on the existing infrastructure," Ogi told Tagesanzeiger.

"It only needs minor adjustments.

"We can do it, we should dare.

"With a decentralised concept, Switzerland has conditions like no one else in the world."

Emmanuel Amoos, member of the National Council of Switzerland, said it was important to find out more details from Swiss Olympic before committing to a bid.

"Until now, all the Olympics have been systematically organised in excess," Amoos said in a report by RTS.

"Is the International Olympic Committee really capable of changing its vision of things?

"Nothing tends to prove it."

Sapporo in Japan looked the frontrunner to win its bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics and Paralympics but has been badly undermined by allegations of corruption involving the re-arranged 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Bids from Vancouver in Canada and the Catalonia region in Spain have also fallen by the wayside.

Salt Lake City in the United States, which hosted the 2002 edition, is a possible choice for 2030 but would prefer 2034 to avoid a clash with the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

The Swedish Olympic Committee has indicated that it would like to move to the second phase of the candidacy process which is "ongoing dialogue" with the IOC over the candidacy of Stockholm.