Cable car users are annoyed because Rome wants Austria's slopes to be empty for Christmas
The snow cannons are running on the mountain – completely unimpressed by Corona and the travel warnings for Austria. “If you believe in the season, you have to create the basis for it now,” says Erich Egger, CEO of Schmittenhöhebahn AG. In other words, the cable car users now have to prepare the ground for white slopes. Whether and when the season starts this year is still more than controversial.
If the Italian government has its way, the neighboring Alpine countries, including Austria, should kindly agree to keep the ski slopes closed this year for Christmas. The aim is to ban skiing holidays at European level and thus prevent the spread of the corona epidemic, reported the Roman daily La Repubbica on Monday.
Shall we watch?
Austria's cable car users are simply appalled by such demands – as are their colleagues in Trentino South Tyrol and Friuli Venezia Giulia.
“I strongly oppose that,” says Erich Egger. It is not clear why the ski lift should stand still when the number of infections in Austria allows operation again. Egger: “Or should we as cable car users watch when 500 people go up the slope?” In his opinion, the first lifts will open just before Christmas this year – and mainly for locals. “Many are already looking forward to the fact that they will have a lot of space this year.”
Many have long since buried the hope that international guests will arrive for the holidays this year. “At best, there will be a couple of second home owners,” estimates Egger. In the important countries of origin, the desire to travel will be limited. The Zillertal cable car boss Franz Hörl does not want to give up hope for the Christmas season yet. The ski areas had “made their contribution”, they wanted “no money from the state, but as soon as possible again to provide the usual high performance”.
Tyrol's Governor Günther Platter hits the same line and says “unlock”. Salzburg's governor Wilfried Haslauer named on Monday 19 December as a possible start date for the winter season. Due to the traditionally high proportion of local guests, Salzburg is less dependent on travel warnings than Tyrol, for example.
