At least in terms of , the Tyrolean winter sports metropolis of Ischgl has not suffered any long-term damage. “We had the value examined. We would have had to spend more than two billion euros if we wanted to be in the newspapers so often. In retrospect, it doesn’t matter that the reporting was negative,” said TVB chairman Alexander von der Thannen “Tyrolean daily newspaper”.
“Perfect booking situation”
To underline that Corona was not detrimental to Ischgl in terms of awareness and image, the tourism association chairman had another argument ready: “With the Ischgl brand, you were able to make a little capital out of it. Those 20 percent of Europeans who didn’t know us before , they know us now.” archyde news investments of two billion euros – not even Ischgl can afford that, was quoted by der Thannen and spoke of a “perfect booking situation” in the current first season without any corona restrictions: “If Putin doesn’t go completely nuts, it will a record year.”
Après-ski: “It’s gotten worse”
Otherwise, the report revealed that in Ischgl – as elsewhere – “business as usual” is back, including the damn après-ski in the meantime. “Excesses” have also returned from time to time. The latter annoy hotelier Alfons Parth: “It’s gotten worse, it’s louder than it used to be. We have to be honest.” That belongs “massively restricted.” Silvrettaseilbahn AG board member Günther Zangerl also spoke out in favor of taking even more countermeasures. Von der Thannen, however, pointed out that measures against excesses had already been taken with the ban on ski boots and alcohol in public places. Here you still have to turn a few screws. But he emphasized: “There will be no winter tourism without après-ski.” After all, carnival and the like are being celebrated again in all European cities. And what’s more, the whole thing has been dealt with in court to such an extent that “even the dumbest person has now figured out that someone else is to blame.” Cable car boss Zangerl took a similar stance: “I think that we don’t have to blame ourselves for anything afterwards.”
Accusation: reacted too late
The place in the Paznauntal had long “dominated” the headlines during the pandemic. There was a major outbreak of the corona virus in Ischgl. The authorities had been accused of reacting too late and not comprehensively enough. An expert report ultimately saw no failure, but misjudgments by the authorities. Pressure from the tourism industry on decision-makers was not ascertained. Criminal investigations against individuals were ultimately all dropped. However, civil proceedings are still pending. It recently became known that the consumer protection association (VSV) brought a class action lawsuit for 121 Covid-infected people and vacationers against the Republic of Austria and the state of Tyrol at the Innsbruck Regional Court with a value in dispute of almost 3.4 million euros.
The statement by politician Bernhard Tilg in “ZiB 2” on March 16, 2020 is legendary. “The authorities did everything right.”
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