Tiroler Tageszeitung, editorial, issue of March 27, 2023. By MANFRED MITTERWACHAUER. "Because it doesn't matter anyway".

Innsbruck (OTS) – She preaches a new, sustainable path in tourism, and doesn’t give a damn about more glacier protection: the black-red coalition is practicing clientele politics when it comes to climate protection and nature conservation. Announced reforms are therefore threatened with going backwards.

Green light for all (expansion) construction plans on the Tyrolean glaciers. Wave all projects through as long as ski resort and cable car operators can still make economic profit from the ice giants. The few more kilometers of pistes and lifts will not deal the death blow to the glaciers. One way or another, the eastern Alpine glaciers will be history by 2050, say glaciologists. Thanks to climate change. So what’s the fuss about new lift projects on the Pitztal and Kaunertal Glaciers? What is the point of the call for absolute glacier protection? This could be argued with a lot of fatalism. But that would be fatal.
ÖVP and SPÖ no longer want to mime the “top concrete workers”. Environmental and nature conservation policy has also penetrated into their core voter clientele. The new edition of the “grand coalition” in Tyrol is responsible for glacier protection. Of course! Admittedly, for the protection that a VP/SP state government watered down in 2005. And which even a green government interlude could not repair. On the contrary. A simple spatial planning program to be issued by the government is currently sufficient to undermine glacier protection. This made plans like those for the “glacier marriage” of Pitztal and Ötztal possible in the first place. The fact that the population ultimately rebelled against this was not part of the bill. Development-friendly paragraphs in the Tyrolean cable car and ski area program (TSSP) are other useful little helpers to keep controversial ski area extensions legally alive. The main thing is “don’t call it” new development.
Long before Corona, there were protests against “over-tourism” in this country. The dwindling tourism attitude among the population led to the VP promise of a “new Tyrolean way”. The credo of sustainability has been and is being driven through the tourist village of Tyrol like the proverbial sow ever since. Over and over again. The industry is currently rejoicing that it is almost back to the pre-corona level. More quality only where the peak in mass has long been reached, i.e. in the main season. The low season, on the other hand, still tolerates quantity. This is how it sounds from the tourism industry in the ORF microphones. The learning effect is close to zero.
LH Anton Mattle (VP) and LHStv. Georg Dornauer (SP) announced a revision of the TSSP and an amendment to the Nature Conservation Act when he took office. It is to be feared that the latest statements and actions will make things worse. In any case, there will be no more glacier protection. Since VP and SP wave off. Because it doesn’t matter anyway.