Failure for Söder and Merkel? Next neighbor is resisting German ski resort plans

Corona and winter sports?

The operators of the ski areas hope for an early start.

But Markus Söder and Angela Merkel see it differently.

There is resistance from Austria and Switzerland.

• Because of

  Corona *,

  the

  ski tourists

  fear

  for their

  vacation

  and the operators for their income.

• Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder

  and

  Chancellor Angela Merkel

  want to allow Europe-wide operation only after Christmas.

• The operators of the Bavarian ski areas are already talking about huge losses.

Update from November 26th, 9:25 pm:

"We will try to vote in Europe on whether we could close all ski areas," said

on Thursday in the Bundestag in

: "Unfortunately, it doesn't look like that , when you hear the Austrian statements that we could do it so easily, but we will try again. "

But not only the EU partner between

is resistance to the German plans.

Closing the ski areas this winter is not an issue for 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, the

According to 

, the topic is not new.

“The approach of a Europe-wide coordinated operating time / season opening of the winter sport destinations was informally discussed in the Alpine countries as early as late summer and was not pursued further as unsuitable,” said Berger: “We therefore assume that this approach will no longer be successful now either. "

+

Well-known ski area: Davos-Klosters in Switzerland.

© swiss-image.ch/dpa

Possible restrictions on ski tourism are currently hotly debated.

Now Tyrol has announced a message that is causing criticism in Bavaria.

Do ski lifts and ski areas have to remain closed due to Corona?

Bavaria's Markus Söder puts pressure on

Update from November 26th, 2.30 p.m.:

Winter sports enthusiasts and other day tourists, including those who only

travel

briefly to a

abroad, should in future be subject to mandatory

in Bavaria

.

An exception for stays of less than 24 hours should only apply if there are valid reasons, in particular work, school, visits to the doctor, family matters and everyday business.

According to the State Chancellery

, the

decided on Thursday in Munich.

Update from November 26th, 9.35 a.m.:

Chancellor Angela Merkel has

spoken out in favor of

upcoming

that all ski areas in Europe should close.

"The ski season is approaching," said the CDU politician on Thursday in the Bundestag in Berlin.

should not take place, any unnecessary contact should be avoided.

“We will try to coordinate in Europe whether we can close all ski areas.

Unfortunately, when you hear the Austrian pronouncements, it doesn't look like we could do it that easily, but we will try again.

Because of Corona: Resistance to Söders ski plans - from operators and from their own party

Update from November 25, 2020, 7:12 p.m.:

With his demand to close ski areas across Europe due to Corona, Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) encounters a lot of contradiction.

Following the initiative of Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to keep ski areas closed at least until January 10th, Söder said on Tuesday: “I would prefer that we would have a uniform agreement at European level:

On Tuesday evening there was criticism from the coalition partner in Bavaria: "A supranational ban on winter sports

restricts many people's

relaxation,

" said the leader of the Free Voters parliamentary group, Florian Streibl.

He speaks out clearly against blanket closures - "especially because all mountain railways have developed excellent hygiene concepts that they consistently implement".

The Federal Government's Tourism Commissioner, Thomas Bareiß (CDU), said on Wednesday that he thought a general ban would be wrong.

.

The CSU's tourism policy spokesman, Klaus Stöttner, also referred to the hygiene concepts that had already been developed for the ski areas.

"Of course, there shouldn't be a gathering of people at the lifts or anywhere else in the ski areas," he said.

But he is convinced that safe skiing can be possible despite Corona.

Tourism representatives from Bavarian winter sports regions emphasized that the Christmas holidays were one of the most important times of the season despite the lack of snow in recent years.

said Maximilian Hillmeier, tourism director of the Bad Hindelang community in Allgäu.

"Winter tourism without mountain railways doesn't work."

"A failure of the ski season would be catastrophic for us,"

says Peter Lorenz, managing director of the Brauneck mountain railway in the Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district.

Skiing does not pose a great risk of infection.

"The rush in summer has already shown us that it can work with the right hygiene and distance concept." The gondolas and ski lifts are not the problem.

"People are never together there for a maximum of ten minutes, and it is well ventilated or even completely in the fresh air."

The neighboring country of Austria is also resisting

.

Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz rejects a later opening of winter sports areas across national borders in the Corona crisis.

Opening steps in all areas, including sport, would be handled differently by the states, Kurz said in Vienna on Wednesday.

"That always has to do with the number of infections, namely the number of infections in Austria." Austria is

and

to lower the corona numbers in December.

"I can only tell you that if someone goes running alone at the moment, then it is just as dangerous as if someone goes on a ski tour alone," said Kurz.

“When someone uses a lift, it is similar to when they use public transport.

You have to make decisions based on these aspects. "

A

shorter ski season will probably not have a positive effect

on the

either, said Thomas Frey from the Nature Conservation Union.

“I am more concerned that individual athletes will then march across the country through the mountains.” This would disturb endangered species such as capercaillie and ptarmigan in their last retreat areas.

Because of Corona: Söder wants ski areas to stay in Bavaria - operator with clear text

First report from November 24, 2020, 7:53 p.m.:

Munich - Normally, Bavaria's winter sports

would already

their turns on the mountains in

.

But because of the escalated

, all lifts in

are closed - including in Italy, where skiing does not want to start until January 10th.

In Bavaria they are already gearing up for the ski season - but Prime Minister

does not want to allow

skiing

until after the Christmas break.

In Leutasch (Tyrol) they did not want to wait and opened the first

- until the government intervened.

Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte wants to keep ski areas closed at least until January 10 in view of the corona pandemic

: "It is not possible to allow a winter holiday, we cannot afford it," said Conte to the television station La7.

Bavaria is also calling for a ski break over Christmas.

"I think it would be very good if we had a Europe-wide solution," said Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) on Monday in Munich.

“We have to appeal to Austria too.

It is now not about Austria strengthening its tourism, but about a

. "Söder demanded a" clear agreement not to keep any ski lifts open ".

Anyone who nevertheless goes skiing abroad must plan for ten days of quarantine.

Austria

, which has been emphasizing for months that it wants to open the ski areas with appropriate precautions at all costs, reacted yesterday with vehement rejection.

Finance Minister Gernot Blümel demanded compensation in the billions from the EU if ski lifts are actually to be shut down over the Christmas holidays.

As a result, Austria expects a loss of sales of 800 million euros for each of the holiday weeks.

At the moment, however, there is

an

in

such as Zell am See or the Zillertal

In Leutasch, however, the cross-country ski trail with snow from the previous year was opened on Friday.

You had to book a ticket beforehand.

The Tyrolean government intervened on Monday and closed the public cross-country ski trail again!

In Ramsau am Dachstein, however, according to the tourist information, the cross-country trails were open yesterday and tickets were available!

+

Corona and ski circus - how should that work?

The operators hope that operations will not fail completely.

© Alexandra Wey

As Bavaria's ski area operators see the situation: "The slopes are ready"

Seldom has a winter been so difficult to plan as this year.

"Normally, at the start of the season we adjust to the weather," says Antonia Asenstorfer from the Alpenplus ski association.

Last year she started at

mid-December.

This year it will probably be much later.

Asenstorfer points out: “The Christmas holidays alone account for around a quarter of our winter sales.

The loss would be enormous. ”She still hopes that the decision will be different.

The

(VDS) will coordinate with the associations of the other countries as soon as decisions become known on Tuesday at the Corona summit in Berlin.

The VDS will inform about this on Wednesday.

says Asenstorfer.

But she also emphasizes: "We are in the starting blocks and are convinced that we can start operations and take the necessary

."

Verena Altenhofen, spokeswoman for the Zugspitz ski area, also explains:

She also hopes that it will be in December.

“The slope conditions are currently a dream.

There is fresh snow, the weather is great, ”she says.

"It would hurt us very much if the slopes had to remain empty for over a month."

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