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The government allows skiing around Christmas. The holiday areas advertise specifically for German holidaymakers. But only a few of them are likely to set off.
FromJan Dirk Herbermann
The
Switzerland offers fans of winter sports great slopes, luxury hotels and a touch of seclusion. All of this is available for steep prices. Even in the Corona winter, ski fans can indulge their expensive passions in the Bernese Oberland or Valais. While other states in the
Alps or federal states like
Bayern Switzerland remains open to temporarily close its ski regions due to the corona.
The Swiss leave their ski areas open
The government of the country issued the slogan on Friday: Ski and toboggan good. The operators of hotels, restaurants and cable cars are also allowed to go around
Christmas greet their guests. However, you have to implement strict protection concepts. Masks are compulsory almost everywhere. The whole business is only permitted if the “epidemiological situation” in the respective cantons is not too dangerous, emphasizes the government in Bern. In addition, sufficient capacities must be ensured in the hospitals, when tracing infection chains and when testing.
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View of the snow-covered Zinal in Valais – from here, travelers can set out to explore the glacier in winter.
Image: Deike Uhtenwoldt / dpa-tmn
By treading this special path, the confederates in neighboring countries are shaking their heads among health experts who see ski resorts as potential virus “hubs”. That’s why the Chancellor had
Angela Merkel A Corona break in the Alps called for: “We will try in Europe to vote on whether we could close all ski areas,” said Merkel. But in Switzerland, a country with a comparatively high number of Covid 19 cases, the Chancellor did not find any understanding. Health Minister Alain Berset made it clear: “We are a sovereign country.”
Guests from Germany are welcome in Switzerland
This land is still open to strangers. “Guests from
Germany are of course, as always, very welcome in Switzerland and you can enjoy your vacation with us, ”said Markus Berger from Switzerland Tourism to our editorial team. “In Switzerland there is expressly no ban on accommodation for foreigners.” Inquiries at the “Zermatterhof” in the shadow of the Matterhorn and at Badrutt’s Palace in St. Moritz confirm Berger’s statement.
The Swiss tourism managers reject the accusation that they want to benefit from the Corona crisis. “We are assuming that initially only very few winter sports enthusiasts from neighboring countries will travel to the Swiss ski areas this season,” says Berger. The reason he refers to the tough quarantine regulations for those returning from Switzerland. For example, skiers from Bavaria have to be in quarantine for ten days after their return, a corona test is only possible from the fifth day. There is currently no quarantine requirement for Germans when entering Switzerland.
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View of the Matterhorn – the most famous mountain in the Valais Alps.
Image: Deike Uhtenwoldt / dpa-tmn
The government in Bern primarily wanted to “enable the Swiss to have a safe, controlled, but also relaxing winter holiday”. In normal times, around 40 to 50 percent of the guests come from abroad, with the Germans providing the largest contingent.
Politician campaigns for ski areas
Business associations and a number of politicians had campaigned for snow fun. At the forefront was one of Switzerland’s most prominent politicians for the tourism industry: Magdalena Martullo from the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), daughter of the right-wing conservative leader Christoph Blocher. “The ski areas and the winter tourism locations are being pilloried, although there is no evidence of increased infections there,” said the national councilor from the ski canton of Graubünden to the daily newspaper Southeast Switzerland.
Another neighboring country of Germany allows skiing around Christmas – albeit also primarily for locals. The ski resorts in the Czech Republic are allowed to open from December 18th. Health Minister Jan Blatny announced. The largest ski area in the Czech Republic is located in Spindleruv Mlyn in the Giant Mountains. “In Austria this is intended for the locals, even with us it should only be for our people,” said the Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis. The German government has declared the Czech Republic a risk area and issued a travel warning. This means that the strict quarantine guidelines for returnees also apply here. (with dpa)
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