Porters in front of a hotel in St. Moritz are waiting for guests Keystone / Giancarlo Cattaneo
According to the umbrella association Hotelleriesuisse, measures against the latest Covid-19 variant are already having a negative impact on hotel bookings in Switzerland. There are also fears that the entire Ski World Cup will have to be canceled.
This content was posted on November 30, 2021 – 10:23 am
Keystone SDA / ts
“Due to the quarantine regulation for guests from important source markets and the worsening epidemiological situation in Switzerland, many companies are struggling with a wave of cancellations”, Hotelleriesuisse said in a statementexternal link.
Some hotels that rely heavily on visitors from the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium would have had cancellation rates of 100%. In order to contain the new Omicron variant of Covid-19, the Swiss authorities have these three countries – and 20 others – on a listexternal link. People entering Switzerland from these countries have to be in quarantine for ten days.
In addition, according to Hotelleriesuisse, there have been “massive cancellations” of company and Christmas events.
“Massive State Intervention”
The association now hopes that a lockdown can be avoided. She expressed understanding for the quarantine measures, “however, this is a massive state intervention in the freedom to travel. It should lead to an appropriate compensation and be lifted as soon as possible. You need planning security for holiday bookings in the coming winter months. “
For Hotelleriesuisse a “functioning winter season” is crucial, as tourism generates a large part of its added value in the winter months.
Specifically, the association called for “uniform measures” to contain the pandemic. Past experience has shown that cantonal efforts alone are not effective, it said. These measures could include 3G in the workplace (access only for people who have been vaccinated, tested or recovered from Covid), wearing a mask indoors, mandatory repeat tests in companies or free tests for everyone.
Ski World Cup in danger?
The pandemic is not only affecting tourism, but also winter sports. On Tuesday the newspaper Blick reported on the increasingly precarious situation for ski professionals and the possibility that the Ski World Cup is canceledexternal link.
It indicated that Canada was added to the Swiss “quarantine list” on Monday. This endangers the World Cup race in the Swiss ski resort of St. Moritz from December 11th to 12th, as female skiers are racing in Lake Louise in Canada this week.
“A ten-day quarantine as prescribed by the Federal Office of Public Health? That is impossible for [Swiss ski stars] Corinne Suter, Michelle Gisin and Co “, it says in the newspaper. The Ministry of Sports has confirmed that there are currently no quarantine exceptions for professional athletes.
Blick wondered whether the entire World Cup would have to be canceled, like the Lucerne Winter Universiade 2021, the largest winter sports event alongside the Winter Olympics, what was drawn on Monday.
