Mountain sports guides in danger: Price increases and risk of accidents threaten!

Mountain sports guides in danger: Price increases and risk of accidents threaten!

In Austria there are around 5,000 mountain sports guides who ensure that locals and tourists are safely managed by the impressive Alps. But the future of this important professional group is on the brink! As the APA-OTS , the social security increasingly classifies many of these natural experts when it is unfortunate if it or offer travel providers. This not only leads to a bureaucratic chaos, but also to drastic price increases for guests, who may have to fall back on uncertain things. An international alliance of alpine clubs and mountain sports guides therefore calls for a legal regulation from the new federal government to ensure the independence of this professional group.

dangers through unclear regulations

The current problem could result in significant consequences for security in the mountains. Clemens Matt, General Secretary of the Austrian Alpine Association, emphasizes that financial and administrative hurdles have to be removed in order to continue to cooperate with alpine organizers. According to Bergsportführer Tirol , to reduce the dangers of alpine accidents if inexperienced people fall back on cost-effective but less qualified foreign guides. Michael Rosendorfer from the Tyrolean Bergsportführerverband calls for a clear definition of independence for mountain sports guides in order to offer them a safe and economic future.

While even a uniform system for recognition of professional stamps that establish the European Professional Card (EPC), in the mountain guide industry, even a uniform system for promoting itself, current regulations force local providers to move their services abroad. This could not only mean the loss of jobs, but also lead to a falling quality of the guided tours and endanger the experience in the Austrian mountains.