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Pro and Against
Should ski areas be closed? “If we don’t do it without skiing now, Ischgl will be in Switzerland this year”
Several European countries want to close ski areas this winter due to Corona. Swiss politicians warn of “irreparable” damage. Opinions on the subject differ.
Cons: Our psyche needs rays of light. And anyway: Corona doesn’t like fresh air!
There are idiots everywhere. Also in the ski areas. Gondolas crowded here, there is no distance when queuing there. Yes, the images at the beginning of the season were terrible. And since we have long known how terribly poor Switzerland can deal with personal responsibility, the idea is obvious: close the ski areas, immediately!
Thought is as wrong as it is fatal. The days are getting shorter, colder and sadder. And doing without the Christmas markets, mulled wine, and candle-making is cruel enough. Nobody talks about a wonderful slowdown anymore, even Christmas stress seems like a blessing now that it is missing. We all need bright spots. We need days in the sun. We need fresh air. And places where the soul can be filled with energy and joy. Our psyche needs the mountains. Our children snow so they can continue to voluntarily keep the Playstation, X-Box and Nintendo Switch.
No, this winter is not going to be normal. Strict rules are needed. Après-ski must be strictly prohibited. Movement in restaurants should be reduced to going to the bathroom. Of course, a mask requirement is a requirement. But you have to do everything possible to allow access to the outdoors. Hiking and skiing contribute to Swiss public health. Much more than any other measure. And if we have learned anything in these last eight cruel months, it is this: Corona does not like fresh air.
Of course, an inexpensive idea also plays a role in driving the freedom of fresh air. And it’s like everywhere else: in the end, the little ones pay. In the event of a closure, the major ski areas will somehow survive. But what about the little ones? With the great nooks and crannies of our country? The wonderful Wildhaus, Sörenberg, Goms or Brigels? So there where distance rules are hardly ever necessary anyway. These areas would be in serious danger of extinction. It would be a shame.
Advantage: if we don’t do it without skiing now, Ischgl will be in Switzerland this year
The Italians and Germans want the ski areas to remain closed until January 10 to slow the spread of the epidemic. They ask for solidarity throughout Europe so that there is no corona tourism. Austria wants to let the railways run.
Only for Switzerland it is already clear that the ski areas will be opened in advance. The ski lifts operate in Saas-Fee and Zermatt. “Switzerland is skiing,” cheers “Seilbahnen Schweiz” on its website and promises to do everything possible to ensure that customers can be “well protected in the snow.” However, they don’t want to reduce the number of people squeezing into a gondola. Especially the masks should fix it.
This is not just a lack of solidarity, it is naive and dangerous. The biggest mistake lies in equating elevator and train travel, which Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is also trying to do. A mask in the gondola provides protection similar to that in the train compartment, but the passengers do not all go to the same bar afterwards.
Ski areas are closed universes with a limited number of restaurants and bars to eat and warm up. It is no coincidence that the Ischgl ski area was the worst epidemic in Europe last winter. What is less known: Corona was also in the Swiss ski area.
On a sunny day, the risk of infection in the ski area can be low. Then everyone can sit on the terrace to have lunch. But as soon as the weather changes, it becomes precarious. Nobody wants to stay outside in the cold and snow. The rush in restaurants, bars or even in common rooms is inevitable. No matter how many Plexiglas walls restaurant operators can put up, there remains a residual risk. There will be contagion. There are also complicated situations during arrival and departure. Everyone knows who ever wanted to take the train to Valais on a beautiful winter weekend.
That is why we have to show solidarity with Germany and Italy and keep the ski areas closed until January, when it is to be expected that the number of infections has decreased. Railroad and restaurant operators must be compensated for the failure.
If Switzerland breaks away and also attracts international tourists, the next Ischgl will be in Switzerland. But if we do without it now, sports vacations will be much better.
