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The images of yesterday in Cervinia, with the crowded cable cars and the queues at the ski lifts, could have done a lot of damage to the Italian ski industry. Actually, on the first day of opening, only 2,200 people skied in the Aosta Valley. Cervino Spa explained that “there was a queue at the checkouts until 10”, that there were no people on the slopes and that the staff gave a mask to the skiers who did not have them. However, yesterday’s videos and photos undoubtedly contributed to making downhill skiing one of the activities that the new Dpcm will suspend.
THE CRITICAL POINTS
Competition skiing made the news again a week ago, with the triumph of the blue Marta Bassino in the Sölden giant. But the comparison with the World Cup, where an antivirus bubble was created as in Serie A, does not give valid answers for the white weeks. Although the ski areas are vast and the lifts are getting faster, the number of skiers (up to 25,000 per day in Plan de Corones in South Tyrol) makes the distance difficult. The critical points are the cable cars, cable cars and the queues at the ticket offices, at the base of the elevators and in the shelters. However, there are no overcrowding issues for the world of alternative snow, from ski touring to snowshoeing. But the figures for these activities, although growing rapidly, still cannot replace the turnover of the slopes. The first trip came from Massimo Galli, an infectious disease specialist at the Sacco hospital in Milan. “I find it difficult that the facilities can be used,” he said at an Italian Winter Sports Federation event. Let’s forget the holidays in the snow. The risk of contagion is too high, ”added Antonella Viola, from the University of Padua.
WORKERS
The insiders reacted. “Those with public responsibility must weigh their words. The companies that live on the snow can see their right to a dignified life compromised ”, protests Andrea Formento, president of Federfuni. “The ski automatically provides the spacing, the skiers are protected with gloves, goggles, mouth and nose protectors and a helmet”, adds Flavio Roda, president of the FISI. The snow industry is a giant and deserves to be protected. In the winter of 2018-19, 10.6 million Italians spent a holiday in the mountains, spending 7.3 billion euros on hotels, restaurants, ski passes, ski schools and rentals. The plants, where 12 thousand people work, have a turnover of 1,200 million.
THE EMPLOYEES
Considering hoteliers, merchants and teachers, the employees are around 400 thousand. Until yesterday, the Government, Regions and Autonomous Provinces had not approved any closure. Days ago, in the Chamber, the Minister of Transport Paola De Micheli recalled that the limit on the number of passengers, and the obligation of the mask and the spacing also applies to cable cars.
THE PLANTS
In recent weeks, the ski industry has started to get busy. “Our plants will travel at full speed, we will reduce queues at the checkout,” explains Marco Cordeschi, plant manager at Roccaraso. The Superski Dolomiti (450 lifts, 1200 kilometers of slopes), offers ski passes purchased with a credit card and delivered to the hotel, thermocanner, interactive systems and stewards against queues, refund of passes in case of forced closures, limited number of courses. ski and mountain. In this period, generally, Italian families book winter holidays. But in recent days, the bans already decided in Campania seemed like a condemnation for Campitello Matese and Roccaraso, beloved by Neapolitan skiers.
AND CONTAGIO
Now the only hope for skiing in the Alps and Apennines lies in a decrease in the number of infections. These days only a few high-altitude resorts are open, such as Cervinia and Val Senales. The rest of the industry starts up in December and there is still time to start over. The Italian snow is on hold.
Last updated: 08:19
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