MOSCOW, January 10 (Itar-Tass) —— Russia’s several hundred tourists remain at Austria’s ski resorts, as a show fall cuts them from the outer world, Executive Director of Russia’s Tourism Operators Association /ATOR/ Maya Lomidze said on Tuesday.
She added that despite the snow fall, the state of the resorts is good, and the ski lifts are working like always.
Tourism operators report only about problems with taking tourists to airports.
According to ATOR, the weather conditions have affected mostly the resorts, which are popular with Russian tourists – Ischgl and Soelden.
The association said that “because of problems with the ground transport, tourists may be late for airports for their return flights.”
“Until recently, aviation companies agreed with tourism operators to wait for tourists and delay flights to board everyone, who is late,” the source said. Several tourists were recommended to finish their holidays a day earlier in order to manage to return to Russia by the necessary date.
The association said that “at nights all roads are cleared, thus no tourists are ‘locked’ at the resorts” and added that they have been keeping constant contact with the local authorities and continue to follow the situation at Austria’s resorts.
The resorts which remain for several days cut off from the outer world are Lech-Zurs, Klosterle, Stubai and Langenlois, and winter resorts Gargellen, St. Gallenkirch, Gaschurn-Partenen, and Montafon. The roads leading to the resorts are stuck with snow and cannot be cleared for the threat of avalanches.
A similar situation is at Gargellen. The only road leading to that city crosses the Montafon mountain ridge, where the threat of avalanches is very high. The unfavorable weather conditions stopped ski lifts and tourists have to while away the time in hotels. Besides, the approaching warm front may bring new precipitation, thus the mountain road remains blocked and people cannot break out from the “snow siege.” Experts say the situation may become clearer on Tuesday at the earliest.