After the rain, a pale sun may come out. Due to the Covid pandemic, the Italian mountain economy lost about 70% of the wealth produced in 2019 in 2020 alone (source Confcommercio). Now the gradual easing of the measures adopted to contain the spread of infections – from 1 February the green pass is sufficient for those arriving from EU countries -, if on the one hand it induces operators to trust in a turnaround, on the other it does the pair, inevitably, with another big question mark: the rush of inflation, driven above all by expensive energy, which could convince once again to postpone the departure. Yet from the operators who operate on the territory, and who best of all have “the pulse of the situation”, a clear message arrives: the expectations are there.
Ghezzi (Anef): thanks to the relaxation of the rules, a positive scenario for bookings
The focus, in particular, is all on this month and the next, that is the period that traditionally, who can, allows themselves a ski week in the mountains. It is clearly early to take stock, but positive messages are coming from the operators. In short, something is moving. Valeria Ghezzi, president of the National Association of Cable Car Operators (Anef), explains that “the loosening of the Covid rules was certainly a deeply felt need by mountain operators and which now allows us to outline a positive scenario, especially as regards confirmation of reservations. The trends, following the circulation of the news on the change of rules, are decidedly good – continues Ghezzi – in particular for the period from the end of February to the beginning of March, during the Carnival period. In the previous phase we had detected a tendency towards cancellation, especially by foreign tourists, very marked due to the non-sustainability, on their part, of the anti-Covid measures imposed by Italy. With the change of rules, however, although it is not yet possible to provide data, we are seeing a positive and significant interest on the part of both tour operators and private individuals in a propensity to confirm holidays for the moment. “
Zardini (Cortina Skiworld): the season is going very well
As for the situation in Cortina Marco Zardini, president of Cortina Skiworld, says that “in principle, the season is going very well, even the numbers of passes and sales are almost the same as those before Covid in 2019. There is a strong presence of Italians, who are the great protagonists of this season, a little less foreigners. Strong expectations also for the high season of the Carnival period and in general the second half of February, as evidenced by hotel reservations. “
Alverà (Cortina Hoteliers Association): slight recovery for requests from abroad
Remaining with the situation in Cortina, Roberta Alverà, president of the Cortina Hoteliers’ Association, tells us that “for the last weeks of February and the first of March we expect a resumption of internal tourism since these are the designated weeks, even in the city, to the white week. At the moment we have requests from our regular customers on which we count for this recovery and a slight recovery as regards the requests of those coming from abroad, given the easing of the anti Covid measures. “
Livigno, Rocca (Mottolino): positive trend in bookings
What is happening in Livigno? Marco Rocca, managing director of Mottolino, the ski sector, says that «in terms of tourist presences, the month of December went very well with a positive trend even compared to the last tourist season of 2019/20. Italians have grown considerably, especially in proximity – he adds -: in fact, Lombardy is at the top. The growth was not reflected in the same way on the ski, which did not achieve the same results. After the Christmas holidays we had a strong decline in flows. The trend is negative even if the month of January for Italians has never been particularly important, especially after the holidays. The next few weeks seem to give a signal of a strong recovery in tourist presences but in Livigno there are some important considerations: the market is mainly foreign (at 65% of total presences): this type of tourist has been hindered by the different regulations on vaccines of the various European countries that have made skiing problematic for families with children. The data available to us are not yet final: in fact, we can see a positive trend in bookings but not the origin of the same. The feeling is that they are mainly foreigners but this is due to a business model of the locality that lives on white weeks rather than on short periods that characterize the time availability of our compatriots. We are however certain – concludes Rocca – that the trend of arrivals, now that the wave of Omicron seems to have eased, can give us new positive signals also from Italy ».