(CNN) – The decision to shut down France’s recent ski lifts due to covid fear will be a disappointment for many winter sports enthusiasts. For Catherine Julian-Brechez, her cry was flying.
“I had tears in my eyes, I felt very powerless,” Julian-Breaches, mayor of the upscale alpine resort town of Majeva, told CNN.
The shutdown, announced last month by President Emanuel Macron, dashed all hopes of opening ski resorts in France for the usually busy Christmas period – a move that would lose billions in the tourism industry’s revenue.
The mayor of Majiv says the town will be devastated by restrictions on skiing.
Jerry Tripleon / Gamma-Rafo / Getty Images
Along with other alpine nations such as Italy, Germany and Austria, Europe’s top mountain destinations will be quiet. Their snowy pistes are heavily disturbed by the swashbuckling of skis and snowboards.
And yet, in the same mountains just 60 miles from Megawat, the slopes remain open for business. In the Swiss mountain town of Verbier, Chirllift will continue to take people to the vast 4-Wallis ski area.
In these bars and rest restaurants, customers still drink their mulled wine and enjoy it.
Few people in Europe’s skiing industry will forget the experiences of last winter, while Ishgal’s Austrian ski resort, for a time, saw the continental coveted ground as zero.
Desperate for help
In Verbier, skiers are required to wear a face mask on the lift.
Getty Images by Fabrice CF Freni / AFP
But, the question from those affected by the closure is, if Switzerland is safe to open its slot, why is it not safe for other countries?
In Majev, the closure of the ski lift would mean a loss of eight million euros (about 10 million). And, for every euro lost on the slope, seven more village hotels, restaurants and bars will be lost, says Julian-Brechez.
She fears that many local businesses simply will not survive.
“I wish I could do something but we can’t support businesses that really need our help.”
On November 30, a rare protest took place in the generally well-kept center of Magev. But like their mayor, the locals know they can.
Michelle Cugier, who runs a ski lift in Michele, was preparing to open with social distance measures to ensure a safe season. Instead, it is preparing to furlough most of the 250 seasonal employees.
“It’s really inappropriate,” Cugier said. “I worked on the Kovid protocol steps and genuinely hoped we would open up.”
Ten million visitors come to France every year for skiing, generating 10 billion euros and employing 120,000 people, according to industry body Domains Sciables.
Lessons learned
In Bourgeois-Saint-Maris, protesters carried symbols of broken hearts as they called on the government to protect their jobs.
Getty Images by Oliver Chasignol / AFP
Other French resorts have also protested against the decision. In nearby Berg-Saint-Maris, protesters carried broken heart symbols to express frustration over the blankets and called on the government to save their jobs.
His anger was exacerbated by starting resorts across the border in Switzerland.
In Germany, France, Italy, and Austria, the decision to close was not easy. Austria originally announced its intention to move on with the season, but finally with the exception of opening a ski lift to local residents on Christmas Eve – it succumbed to pressure from its EU partners.
The purpose of this decision, as Europe continues to fight its second Covid-19 wave, is to avoid the cluster that became synonymous during the Ishgal first in the Stria.
But the cost threatens to be significant. Skiing brings in 34 billion euros a year to Europe – half of the world – according to ski industry consultant La La Rent Vanat.
In Switzerland – which is not a member of the EU – Laurent Voucher, director of Verbier Ski Lifts, said Ischgal has learned a lot since he was identified by health officials as a major part of the first European cove wave.
“We have no new measures,” he told CNN.
“We didn’t have a mask, we didn’t have a social distance, so now the sport is different and we’re sure we can work to keep ski resorts safe.”
‘Saving Winter’
A protester dressed as a skier in Burgund-Saint-Maris.
Getty Images by Oliver Chasignol / AFP
In Verbier, skiers must now wear masks on lifts. There are regulatory queues with social distance and fewer people are allowed in gondola lifts.
Measures here are taken not only on the slope, but also in villages where masks will be mandatory during the holiday period. Local leaders say they are working hard to make sure they don’t miss a chance.
“For us it’s not just about saving the Christmas holiday, but it’s about saving the winter,” said Simon Widget, director of Verbier Tourism.
“And it’s to protect our reputation because we know everyone is watching us and if we make a mistake and it’s a cluster of mistakes we’ll be seen as a bad organization.”
Coronavirus infection is on the rise in Switzerland and there are plans to ban almost all public events and private gatherings in the country from Saturday.
A Swiss government spokesman tweeted on Tuesday, “Corona’s condition is deteriorating significantly.”
“The intensive care units are very busy and the health workers are tired,” Andre Simonazi said.
Hospital beds in Switzerland are practically full of cowardly patients, putting pressure on the country’s resorts to send as many holiday seasons as possible cluster-free.
Even more so under the watchful eye of its neighbors, who introduced travel bans to prevent their own citizens from rushing to the border to enjoy the Swiss ocean.
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