The debate about a Europe-wide closure of the ski resorts is gaining momentum.
The Italian Foreign Minister describes the discussion as "surreal".
The number of
infections
during the
second wave * of
the
corona pandemic *
remains high in Europe.
Some leading international politicians are therefore calling for
the ski areas
to be
closed across Europe
over Christmas.
Two neighboring German countries still want to make
skiing holidays possible
in the
Corona winter
.
Update November 30, 16:05:
The
Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV)
has demanded in an open letter by the Federal Government of Austria, the
start of the season
for winter sports
hold
- against the will of Germany and other neighboring countries.
"With growing concern we are registering an international campaign against winter sports, which is being led by leading political decision-makers in our neighboring countries," said the letter from ÖSV President
Peter Schröcksnadel
on Monday.
The
“demonization” of winter tourism
is a helpless substitute and not evidence-based.
"In addition, it implicitly supplies the accusation that those countries that are considering opening their winter sports facilities would act irresponsibly," complained the association in the letter.
The
ÖSV
estimates that the
government of Austria
can withstand the pressure from Berlin, Munich, Rome and Paris.
"Winter sports cannot be equated with
party tourism
and unbridled
après-ski
." There are also strict
hygiene concepts
and
space restrictions
.
The President of the Austrian Ski School Association,
Richard Walter
, also signed the letter.
+
In an open letter, the President of the Austrian Ski Association (ÖSV) asked the government to keep the season open for winter sports.
(Archive image)
© picture alliance / Expa / Johann Groder / APA / dpa
Ski vacation in the Corona winter: Austria wants to continue opening ski areas
Update from November 29th, 5:57 p.m.: Germany
, France and
Italy
have spoken out in favor of
temporarily suspending
ski tourism
this winter due to the ongoing
corona pandemic
.
Austria
has so far held out strongly against it.
The alpine country does not want to close its ski areas.
Therefore, an Italian expert is now calling for a
quarantine regulation
.
In the case of a company, it is sensible to "provide an isolation period for returnees
to protect the general public
," said Franco Locatelli, President of the Italian Health Council, the newspaper
La Stampa
.
Austria is part of the
EU
and therefore it is “surprising” that Vienna
does not accept
the proposal by the German
Chancellor Angela Merkel
and the Italian government to keep the plants closed to protect against infection.
In Italy, however, the
strict measures taken
in recent weeks are having an effect.
The R-value recently fell further from an average of
1.2 to around 1.1
.
On Sunday, the authorities reported around 20,600 new infections within one day, almost
7,700 fewer
than on the Sunday before.
Corona: Ski vacation in NRW?
Laschet has the areas closed
Update from November 29, 12.45 p.m.:
According to
Armin Laschet
(CDU),
a suspension of
ski tourism
is
currently being checked
for the
Sauerland
.
The North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister told
Deutschlandfunk
on Sunday.
The plan is to approach the operators in the
ski areas
and want to "act in an exemplary manner".
He
cited the
approach taken by
Italy
and
France
as a positive example.
Both countries had announced that they would
close
the
ski slopes
and the
ski lifts
.
With regard to
Austria
,
Laschet
said
: If Austria
refuses to
suspend
ski tourism
, no one can prevent it.
Corona: Ski Zoff escalates!
Austria fires against Germany and Söder - "He has to take note of that"
First report from November 28th, 2.30 p.m .:
Munich - “We will try to vote in Europe on whether we
could
close all ski areas,
” announced Chancellor
Angela Merkel
on Thursday in the Bundestag in Berlin.
Previously, Italy's Prime Minister
Giuseppe Conte
, Bavarian Prime Minister
Markus Söder
, and French President
Emmanuel Macron had campaigned
for the ski areas to be closed.
Austria
and
Switzerland
do not agree and want to open up to winter tourists.
Ski vacation in the Corona winter?
Italy's Foreign Minister describes the discussion as "surreal"
“
Not being allowed to ski is not a sacrifice
.
This discussion about winter holidays is surreal ”, said the Italian Foreign Minister
Luigi Di Maio
in an interview with the television station
Rete 4
.
You have to make the last sacrifices
to defeat
the
corona pandemic *
.
"We are closing the ski facilities to avoid
crowds
," explained Di Maio.
Anyone who
goes on a
skiing holiday
in neighboring countries must then
go
into
quarantine
.
“This is how we protect those who stayed home,” he said.
According to Italy's Minister of Transport and Infrastructure,
Paola Di Micheli
, the conditions for a
winter holiday
over the Christmas holidays are
not met
.
"It is clear to me that the operators of the ski facilities strictly
adhere
to the
Corona measures
, but during the holiday season there is more social contact, which can lead to an increase in infections, like the high number of infections during the summer has proven, ”she explained.
Ski vacation in the Corona winter?
Majority of Germans for Europe-wide closure of ski areas
A large
majority of the German population
would currently support a
Europe-wide closure of the ski areas
.
This was the result of a representative
survey conducted by
the opinion research institute Civey on behalf of the
Augsburger Allgemeine
.
73.8 percent
of those surveyed stated that it was "clear" or "rather right"
to close all European ski areas for the time being in order
to contain the
corona pandemic *
.
In
Bavaria
, where the ski areas are not allowed to open until December 20, according to the survey,
around two thirds of those surveyed (
68.6 percent)
said they were
“clearly” or “more likely” in favor of
Europe-wide closure
.
At 25.4 percent, around a quarter of those surveyed thought this was “somewhat” or “clearly wrong”.
+
The debate about a Europe-wide closure of the ski resorts due to the high number of corona infections continues to gain momentum.
© picture alliance / Leandre Duggan / KEYSTONE / dpa
Ski vacation in the Corona winter?
Austria absolutely wants to make winter holidays possible
Anyone
in
Austria
is not in
agreement with the proposal
to close
the
ski areas
across Europe
.
The Minister of Tourism
Elisabeth Köstinger
made
it clear
on Thursday in the program
ZiB2
: "The virus does not spread on the ski slopes, but above all in closed indoor areas." Therefore there will be
no après-ski
this year
.
The
minister said in an interview with
Der Spiegel
that she can
not gain anything from
the
advances made
by other countries
.
“
Nor do
we give
France
any advice on when it can reopen the Louvre.
Nor do we stipulate in
Italy
or
Germany
when cafes, restaurants or schools can reopen.
Each country
should make
its own decision
based on its infection rate
, ”said Köstinger.
The
EU Commission
has now made it clear that it does not intend to regulate this across Europe.
Austria and Germany in the ski Zoff: Tyrolean is Bavaria's Söder
"We will do everything to ensure that the number of infections drops and that a
winter holiday in Austria is
possible," assured
Köstinger
.
Tourism is
indispensable
, especially for rural regions.
The
minister also announced the use of the
police
to
enforce and control the
corona rules
.
"Every cable car company has its Corona officer.
There will be security services at critical points, and the police or cable car employees will also take over the supervision. ”
Köstinger
explained that
she herself will“ certainly ”
go
skiing
in the coming winter
.
After
Köstinger
, the Tyrolean governor also resisted the German demand.
"If the number of infections allows, we will not let Bavaria take our skiing away," said
Günther Platter (ÖVP)
in a broadcast
according to
krone.at
.
Söder must also take note of this, said Platter, and advised against doing “politics at the expense of other regions”.
Everyone would lose at the end of the day.
Ski vacation in the Corona winter?
Closing the ski areas is not an issue for Switzerland
Resistance to a
Europe-wide closure of ski areas
is also coming from
Switzerland
.
"In Switzerland, the Federal Council, the authorities and the tourism industry are convinced that the Swiss path - for the moment - is the right one and that the winter season can take place safely," said
Markus Berger
, spokesman for
Switzerland Tourism
, on Thursday.
The Swiss ski region
Engadin
in the canton of Graubünden, where Chancellor
Merkel
has been on winter vacation for many years, also expressed its incomprehension about the advances made by other countries.
The hotelier
Thomas Walther
from
Pontresina
told the newspaper
Blick
: "Our hygiene concepts have proven their worth since the summer." Merkel needn't be afraid.
The tabloid headlined on Saturday: “
Ms. Merkel, you are safe with us!
"
Ski vacation in the Corona winter?
France opens ski areas - but ski lifts remain closed
In
France
one has now tried
to find
a
middle ground
.
The
winter sports resorts
are allowed to
open
, but the
ski lifts
remain
closed
.
Prime Minister
Jean Castex
said this
in a press conference on Thursday.
The president of the French ski lift association,
Alexandre Maulin
, said he was "devastated".
The start of the season is now flat for skiers.
The French
President Macron
had previously emphasized that opening the
ski areas
on the Christmas holidays seemed
"impossible" to
him because of the continued high number of
corona infections *
.
(ph) * Merkur.de is part of the Ippen-Digital editorial network
List of rubric lists: © Sven Hoppe / dpa