At a ski resort in the Austrian Tyrol, the season opened in October, but barely started, came into question after the authorities decided to quarantine from November 3 to early December to stop the second wave of the epidemic.

In Pitztal, as well as in neighboring resorts, have not yet recovered from the Ischgl scandal, from where in March tourists spread the coronavirus throughout Europe. The local economy will face tough times again, old-timers say, if ski season 21 never picks up steam.

Vacationers come here, but not so many: " We are professional skiers and in winter we participate in competitions under the auspices of the International Ski Federation "

In the province of Tyrol, ski resorts contribute billions of euros to the local economy. Every fourth job is related to tourism. According to the Austrian Institute for Economic Research, if winter season 21 breaks down, it could lead to a 1.5% reduction in Austria's GDP..

In the summer, the owners of the ski lifts and other infrastructure invested heavily to allow ski lovers to ski with strict safety precautions. They hope that their efforts will not go to waste:

“We really hope that we will be able to take control of the epidemic again and that we will be able to ride as before. It is clear that wearing a mask, maintaining social distance and hand disinfection is now with us for a long time. We'll have to get used to the idea that we will now ride in different conditions, "

The coming months will show whether this optimistic forecast will come true. More and more holidaymakers are postponing skiing considering that upon their return they will have to sit in quarantine.