Austrian Hotel Association Backs Local Tariffs For Lift Tickets
Austrian Hotel Association (Vienna): ÖHV President Veit: “Equal treatment is when everyone benefits at home – in kindergartens, family allowances and local rates!”
Tyrol's Chamber of Labor President Erwin Zangerl has pointed out that anyone living in South Tyrol can get lift tickets there that are 30% cheaper, while local rates in Austria are under fire for allegedly unequal treatment that violates EU law. The solution is obvious, as the President of the Austrian Hotel Association, Walter Veit, sums up his proposal: "Every EU citizen is at home somewhere and should have the right to a local rate for leisure activities such as lifts or swimming pools on their doorstep! Then everyone will be treated equally, no one will be disadvantaged!"
Full support for AK initiative
It is important to Veit that the South Tyrolean model is not banned, but serves as a model: "Increasing the acceptance of tourism is a clear goal of the federal government. Local tariffs show the population how much they benefit from the investments of tourism companies," says Veit, fully supporting Zangerl's initiative: "We need a commitment to local tariffs from the next government and a concept for how to implement them."
Kindergarten places and family allowances are also linked to residence
Veit points to other areas in which locals are given preference over third parties: "A kindergarten place is available to those who live in the municipality, and family allowance is available to those who live in the country for children who are permanently resident in Austria. No one can explain why one should work under EU law and the other should not!"
Gain sympathy and thus counteract political and EU skepticism
Veit is convinced that importing the successful South Tyrolean model to Austria would not only strengthen the spirit of tourism, but also curb the EU and political scepticism that is particularly pronounced in Austria compared to other countries: "Anyone who wants to counteract the negative image of Europe and politics in general would be well advised to take this sympathetic - and logical - step!" Austria's next government should quickly decide on the legal basis for local tariffs in Austria and, if necessary, legally secure the implementation through all legal authorities, says Veit.
