In a bid to revitalise both state and Snowy Mountains tourism industries, government officials from Victoria and NSW have given the go-ahead for public regional travel starting from June 1st.
John Barilaro, NSW Deputy Premier, said in an official statement:
"I'm very pleased to share that this means we will have a ski season this year. However, holidaymakers should be aware that snow resorts will likely need time to put COVID plans into place and you should make contact before visiting."
Since the Australian snow season has been given the green light, what exactly does that mean for us? And when will our resorts actually open?
Well, we now know that most of our snow resorts are aiming to have slopes open and lifts running by July. However, there will be strict social distancing measures put in place to meet government protocols. This means we'll be seeing limits on the number of people that can be on the mountain at one time. There will also be capacity limits placed on venues such as pubs, restaurants, and cafes, as well as snowsports lessons.
From Vail Resorts:
"Get excited, it’s snow time! We’re set to open on 24 June Details about resort operations will be announced in the coming weeks. We look forward to seeing you on the mountain."
From Thredbo:
"We’re thrilled to announce we are planning an Opening Date of 22 June. To enable the resort to open for skiing and snowboarding, we will be rolling out a revised operating model that has been developed under the advice provided by the NSW Health Department and the State and Federal Governments"
From Charlotte Pass:
"Charlotte Pass Snow Resort will have company-operated accommodation open from Thursday 25th June, with the expected commencement of Mountain operations from Friday 26th June."
From Vail Resorts:
"Get excited, it’s snow time! We’re set to open on 24 June Details about resort operations will be announced in the coming weeks. We look forward to seeing you on the mountain."
From Vail Resorts:
"Get excited, it’s snow time! We’re set to open on 24 June Details about resort operations will be announced in the coming weeks. We look forward to seeing you on the mountain."
Laurie Blampied, Mt Buller General Manager, has said:
“We will need to limit guest volumes in resort to maintain social distancing, there will be rigid cleaning and sanitation protocols in place, our international staff will sadly not be travelling to work with us this year and our local mountain staff numbers reduced. This means that the full range of products and services normally associated with the alpine resorts will not be available in 2020.”
We will update this story as more information becomes available. In the meantime, let us know your thoughts on Facebook or Instagram.
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