not to Italy, open slopes

Published on: 11/24/2020 2:51 PM

Austria says no to Italy’s proposal of one closure of ski resorts at European level during the end of the year holidays to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“For the Austrian tourism industry, the Covid 19 pandemic represents in every way a huge threat, in terms of health and the economy,” Austrian Finance Minister Gernot Bluemel said in Vienna. For his ministry a closure would result in a loss of around € 2.4 billion for the three week end of the year holidays. “If the European Union really wants this, it has to pay“Bluemel added, clarifying that it would be a matter of securing 80 percent of that income, in line with the Austrian state’s provisions in terms of compensation for closed businesses.

The Italian regions strongly insisted on the request for common European standards. “If the slopes are to remain closed – stressed the president of Veneto Luca Zaia – this applies to the whole of Europe. Skiing cannot be prohibited in South Tyrol and allowed in Carinthia. It would be an unacceptable mockery”

And yesterday Prime Minister Conte announced that “with Merkel and Macron in Europe we are working on a common European protocol. It is not possible – he reiterated – to allow holidays in the snow, we cannot afford it.”