Whether the postponed ski courses can then take place depends on the CoV infection situation. The schools hope to be able to hold the courses, because it is not just about the movement aspect, but also about social interaction, emphasizes Robert Tschaut, specialist inspector for movement and sport in the Salzburg Education Directorate: “You are together, you ride together with the lift, you bring an evening together.”

The time spent together is a win-win situation for the teachers and the students, adds the subject inspector: “The teachers learn stories that they would never experience in the classroom. And so you get a completely different picture of the young people.”

Ski course participants as future winter sports enthusiasts

Around half of all Austrian winter sports weeks take place in Salzburg. For many children and young people, the ski courses are the first opportunity to make their first turns on the slopes, says Franz Schenner from the Winter network: “If we don’t get the children out in the snow, if we’re not allowed to organize winter sports weeks for children whose If parents don’t ski, then we’ll have a problem.” At the same time, it’s also about the summer, because there haven’t been summer sports weeks for two years.

The current regulation in Austria is dated February 26th. It is not yet known whether ski courses will be possible again in March.

Empty beds in youth hostels

The school ski courses are important sources of income for the operators of youth hostels, such as for Stefan Pecile from the Kitzsteinhorn youth club in Zell am See (Pinzgau).

It would actually be high season there now. However, the 380-bed facility is empty for the second time in a row, says Stefan Pecile: “With us, not a guest or a family cancels. With us, a school cancels and that is sometimes 100 people. Then Hutmann 100 people not there. That simply cannot be compensated for.” Conversely, cancellation fees for the schools are no longer a big issue compared to the previous year.

During the Christmas holidays, the youth hostel was open to young guests from abroad for two weeks. Since the CoV measures such as the 2G check, the negative PCR test and the obligation to wear a mask would have worked well, the guest house operator emphasizes: “How can you run a business economically if you can keep it open for two weeks and start operating again after the Christmas holidays have to close for three or four months. We’ve had that for the second year now.”