Feb 2021 - Italian Ski Areas Begin to Confirm Opening
Italy has been saying for some time that most of its ski areas could re-open from next Monday, 15th February 2021.
However this was the third re-opening date given so they was, and remains, doubts that it would definitely happen.
But it does look more promising than the previous two and resorts have now started giving provisional opening dates.
The country’s largest ski region, Dolomiti Superski (pictured below), say they’ll start opening from Monday 15th, hopefully.
“15th February will probably be the opening day for the ski resorts in Veneto and 17 February for those in the province of Trento. As you may know the ski areas in South Tyrol (province Bolzano) are to stay shut until 28 February,” a statement from the area this morning reads.
The Skiarea Campiglio Dolomiti di Brenta (pictured top) which includes the linked-skiing above the resorts of Folgarida, Marilleva, Madonna di Campiglio and Pinzolo say they will open from Wednesday 17 February 2021.
Another of the country’s largest ski areas, the Vialattea (Milky Way) which includes the ski resorts of Sauxe d’Oulx and Sestriere has said this morning they have permission from their regional government of Piedmont to open from a week on Saturday, 20th February.
Italy has been divided in to colour coded regions (yellow, orange and red) with only those in yellow regions permitted to open. However most ski regions are currently in yellow zones, the main exception being the South Tyrol (Bolzano), currently rated orange.
Most Italian areas were closed before the season began but several, including Cervinia, had already opened back in the autumn.
Most areas seem to be deciding to open, so far, although one of the several lift companies operating the ski area in Val Gardena announced in December it would not open this season even if it was eventually allowed to.
Resorts require skiers to book lift passes online, maintain social-distancing, wear masks and in some cases join a virtual online lift queue via an app before physically joining the actually socially-distanced lift queue.
The opening of ski areas in Italy, if it happens next week, will leave France the only nation of the ‘big four’ Alpine ski nations to be still keeping its lifts closed.
The opening of ski areas in Italy sadly does not mark the return of ski holidays – it remains difficult/impossible and in many cases illegal to travel any distance to ski. There currently remains uncertainty about travel between regions, particularly those in different colour/infection bands, within Italy itself.
