Focus on the winter season – Alpine countries are discussing the opening of ski areas

Italy’s decision to start the winter sports season later in the EU is causing a dispute among Alpine countries. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte wants to keep the ski areas closed at least until January 10 in view of the crown pandemic.

“It is not possible to allow a winter vacation, we cannot afford it”, said Conte in an interview with the television channel “La7”. In coordination with Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, among others, Italy is committed to a European roadmap for the gradual opening of ski areas. Macron will comment this evening on the possible easing and the situation in the winter areas.

According to media reports, there is agreement among government leaders that uncoordinated and too rapid openings such as in the summer would be a mistake.

Even the Italian regions have asked for at least transnational regulation: if the ski slopes were to be closed, this should apply to all of Europe, said the president of the Veneto Region, Luca Zaia, of the newspaper Corriere della Sera. Skiing cannot be prohibited in South Tyrol, Italy, but allowed in Carinthia, Austria.

Austria wants to unblock

Austria, which for months has stressed that it wants to open ski resorts at all costs with the necessary precautions, responded on Tuesday by vehemently rejecting the Italian request. Finance Minister Gernot Blümel has asked the EU for billions in compensation if the ski lifts are to actually be closed during the Christmas holidays.

As a result, Austria expects a loss in sales of 800 million euros for each of the holiday weeks. “If the EU actually provides for ski areas to remain closed, this means costs of up to € 2 billion. If the EU really wants it, it has to pay for it, ”Blümel said on Tuesday.

“In Austria, we have established a turnover substitute for all those areas that we have officially closed. If the ski areas are to remain closed, the EU must provide compensation for the skiing failure, “Blümel asked.

Closure in Switzerland not foreseeable

The situation is different in Switzerland. Despite the new high positive tests, they are Open ski areas. The country is entirely based on the use of masks and the rules of distance. But discussions in neighboring countries are causing uncertainty in this country as well. So it became the subject at the press conference with BAG experts dealt with Tuesday. A journalist asked Rudolf Hauri, a doctor from the canton of Zug, whether the authorities recommend going skiing in the winter, when the risk of accidents is increased. “Hospitals are fundamentally prepared, especially in the ski areas,” says Hauri. Many of the particularly affected hospitals would change their preparation in the winter season.

“But that’s a matter of concern,” admits Hauri. “That’s why everyone should stick to the measures now, so we can ski even in winter.” Federal Crown Task Force Chairman Martin Ackermann added that the smaller the number of cases it could also increase the scope.

Previously nothing had been heard from Bern on the subject. In mid-September, a confident Federal Councilor mentioned Alain Berset an interview with this newspaperwho has already booked his ski holiday. “But I am aware that I may have to cancel everything at the last minute because the situation no longer allows it. Unfortunately there is no certainty in these times “.

Before that, he campaigned for a coordinated solution at a tourism summit with the other Alpine countries in August. So he explained in another interview: “For me it is very important to find an internationally coordinated solution that also gives ski areas the ability to plan”. But that Failed agreement and the Federal Council has delegated the problem to the cantons. “We will coordinate with the other major winter sports cantons what protective measures we will impose,” says the Valais Council of State and former CVP party president Christophe Darbellay. For Swiss ski areas, the joint agreement “Covid-19 Card” the same protection measures, sometimes even across borders.

Swiss tourism experts rely on protective measures

The appeal of Italians for closed slopes is met with misunderstanding among Swiss tourism professionals. Nicolo Paganini speaks of arbitrariness. “Italy did not close the beaches in the summer”, the National Council of the CVP and president of the Swiss Tourism Association told “20 minutes”. “Not even the Italians can tell us what to do in Switzerland”.

According to Paganini, each country must be able to decide independently whether or not it wants to open ski resorts. Furthermore, the number of infections in this country would continually decrease. “Italian guests can judge for themselves whether Switzerland is safe for them as a holiday destination. Our protection concepts in hotels, restaurants and ski lifts work. And the ski schools will also guarantee the protection of health ”, says Paganini.

For Berno Stoffel the approach of the Italians is unrealistic. “This requirement cannot be implemented,” the director of the Swiss Cable Car Company told the newspaper. Such efforts at the European level failed in August. “So there will be no Alpine deal or anything like that,” Stoffel said. He therefore calmly accepts the request of the Italians. “It doesn’t worry us.” It refers to the concept of safety in ski areas. This is implemented well. “We offer our guests the best possible security in the winter.”

Switzerland Tourism reacts with caution. “This is a thesis that, according to the media, is controversial in Italy. In Switzerland nothing is officially known about it, ”spokesman Markus Berger said. Switzerland Tourism does not comment on possible political discussions in a neighboring country.

Coordination at European level of operating hours and seasonal openings of destinations for winter sports is suggested. Berger further points out that this approach was examined at the European level at the end of the summer and that it was the wrong path. “So this approach shouldn’t be realistic even now. In Switzerland, the Federal Council, the authorities and the tourism industry are convinced that the Swiss route is the right one for the moment and that the winter season can run safely, ”said Berger.

In the last “regular” winter 2018/19, guests from Italy contributed 455,000 hotel nights. According to Berger, this corresponds to a share of 2.7 percent. “You are in the top 10 most important countries of origin”.

Bavaria supports Italy

Prime Minister of Bavaria Markus Söder supported the Italian advance. “If we want to keep the borders open, we also need a clear agreement on skiing. Otherwise it will be a difficult development, “he said Tuesday in Munich. Anyone skiing in risky areas must remain in quarantine for ten days.” I would prefer that we have a uniform agreement at European level: no lift open anywhere or no vacation from Nowhere”.

Conte also received the support of Italian mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner. Waiting until January to open the tracks and operations, if contagious values ​​allow it by then, is not a choice but a duty, the 76-year-old told the newspaper “La Repubblica” (Tuesday).

SDA / Reuters

Posted today at 6:13 pm