Due to COVID-19 concerns, at the last minute, the Italian Ministry of Health unexpectedly stopped the reopening of ski resorts, which triggered strong protests from local operators facing economic losses. 

The unpopular decision was made on Sunday evening, the day before the first skiing was due to be allowed during the winter that was hit hard by the pandemic. 

This has aroused the anger of hotel operators and ski resort operators, especially in the northern region, whose economy is widely dependent on ski tourism. 

As a sign of protest, some small ski resorts opened slopes and service facilities on Monday in violation of the government’s decision. They said this would cause significant economic losses because tourists had to cancel all reservations. 

 The Ministry of Health extended the ban on recreational skiing at resorts across the country to March 5. It said the move was based on worrying new data released by the country’s top health agency.