Will There Be A Ski Season In 2021?
Will there be a ski season in 2021? is a question many who enjoy skiing will be asking as thoughts turn towards winter holidays.
The good news as it stands is there will be a ski season not just in 2021 but also in 2020 when we’ll all be looking forward to getting away.
Even now, Europe is slowly opening up its borders to tourists as I’m writing this and all the indications are, the EU wants all member states to act in unison eventually. Most countries in Europe including Andorra can claim the worst is over for now.
While the UK has proved to be the worst affected country in Europe, many holiday destinations are being forced to consider how much continuing restrictions will impact on their economies. UK tourists account for a substantial part of tourism revenue so there is every incentive to lift restrictions on UK travellers.
For most countries that rely on tourism, spring and early summer proved to be a virtual write-off and uncertainty is likely to continue to reduce tourism for the remainder of the summer.
Looking on the bright side, Europe is no longer the epicentre of the pandemic and countries have brought the spread of Covid 19 under control with lengthy lockdowns.
Given the damage to economies already, full lockdowns are unlikely to be brought back unless things get particularly out of hand. There are also some recent advances in treatment that may save a third of lives in more extreme cases. If lockdowns are reintroduced they are likely to be localized.
The risk of catching the virus however remains and the decision to travel will depend on how you view the risk to yourself and your family members.
Most countries and certainly ski resorts in Europe will continue to have measures in place to reduce the risk of catching the virus and this will be the case until a cure or successful treatment to eliminate the risk of serious illness is found.
Outdoors it has been established that the risk of transmission is lower and people naturally wear helmets gloves and masks when out on the slopes skiing anyway. Lowering the risk of transmission indoors will present its own problems as it will for any holiday destinations and whether or not apres ski as we know it will return for the next ski season remains uncertain.
Without a cure, we are all going to have to adapt to restrictions and this will be the same for all our leisure activities until we eventually beat the virus. Until then, this shouldn’t stop us looking forward to some skiing this winter.