Mayor of Austrian ‘Ibiza of the alps’ vows to end party tourism

Mayor of Austrian ‘Ibiza of the alps’ vows to end party tourism | Secret Flying

Ski resort plans to switch to a more ‘upmarket apres-ski culture.’

 

The mayor of the Austrian Alpine ski resort of Ischgl has vowed to end its reputation as a party town.

 

Ischgl, the near point where Austria, Italy and Switzerland meet, has described itself as the “Ibiza of the Alps”.

 

Earlier this year, the resort made headlines as it found itself at the centre of Austria’s biggest cluster of coronavirus infections.

 

According to health officials, the virus found a breeding ground in Ischgl ski bars in February, where hundreds of tourists were infected and then unknowingly took the virus home with them.

 

Along with the surrounding resorts of St Anton am Arlberg, Sölden and the Paznaun valley, Ischgl has been sealed off in the hope of containing the virus.

 

In looking to life after Covid-19, Ischgl wants to move away from party tourism.

 

“We will question developments of the past years and, where necessary, make corrections,” Ischgl’s mayor, Werner Kurz, said in a statement issued by the tourism authority for his town.

 

“That means more quality and less party tourism, prioritising skiers and fewer day-trippers on buses who only come to party. We are also thinking with all businesses about what an upmarket apres-ski culture can look like.”

 

An Austrian consumer rights group is reportedly preparing a class action lawsuit over ski resorts in the area in which thousands of people across Europe have signed up, most of them in Germany and relating to Ischgl.