Valt: «We have been stuck for sixteen months, difficult to go on». Grana also for the installers: Brussels slows down the practice
BELLUNO. Growing disappointment among winter tourism operators for the lack of refreshments. They will arrive in September for the ski lift companies and in October for the ski schools and their instructors.
INSTALLERS
The distribution of the 430 million for the cable cars, chairlifts, telecabins and other lifts was expected in mid-July, after numerous postponements. From the European Union, however, a half-cold shower has arrived: the Brussels inspectors have sent the dossier back to the Italian government with a whole series of observations on the mode of refreshments (which, mind you, still and only concern 2020). A series of clarifications has started from Rome, which is expected to be confirmed by Brussels. If they arrive within a week, at the latest two, perhaps the miracle of awarding the compensation is possible. Anef, the association that manages the plants, has received the assurance from Rome that immediately after the signature, the Revenue Agency will arrange for the immediate distribution of the funds. If this hypothesis came true before the mid-August break, the plant engineers would finally find satisfaction. But this is more likely to be postponed to September. The plants, as we know, did not work – except in Cortina for the World Cup – during the whole of last winter. The recovery in June was very poor. “We are not repeating the season of a year ago at all,” admits Renzo Minella, regional president of Anf. «This year the tourist offer is varied and the mountains are probably not the first choice, however we are confident. And if the weather persists, the next few weeks will be of gradual recovery ».
SKI INSTRUCTORS
Even worse fate is up to the ski instructors. The minister of tourism Garavaglia signed, in recent days, the decree for the refreshments (which today are called supports). However, the distribution of the 40 million for the 15 thousand ski instructors (1200 in the province of Belluno), distributed among 27 ski schools, will take place no earlier than October. The reason is simple: it will be the Regions to set the criteria for the assignments and to provide, probably by means of a tender, the “funding”. A procedure, therefore, very long and complex, because the schools themselves must respond to the calls.
Anger
“What’s our mood?” It is only known that we have been at a standstill since March last year, except for those few colleagues who took part in competitive courses, ”says Fulvio Valt, ski instructor in Falcade and member of the regional college. «We were angry, we still are but, worse, we are disheartened. Especially since we have little reassuring prospects ahead of us on the developments of the pandemic ».
For 16 months, ski schools, with staff and rents to pay, have been repeatedly turning to banks to extend credit lines or ask for mortgages. The financial institutions were initially very understanding, but now, over time, without feedback, they are with breath on the neck of the poor operators.
«I really don’t know what moods we can resume next season», Valt admits, «if we really had to wait for October, it would be a very serious problem».