Sudden ski fields closure leaves businesses reeling – The Australian Financial Review

He said Vail’s decision had “blindsided everyone”.
“I thought we could keep operating for regional Victoria. To me its the ultimate middle finger to the local market.
He said around 50 per cent of visitors came from regional Victoria, which unlike Melbourne is not in lockdown. That, he said, should have been enough to keep the resort open. He said he believed Vail’s decision had been a financial one, but added the US company’s communication of its intentions and reasoning had never been clear.
It looks now like the 2020 season will have run for a grand total of four days.
Theres been zero communication. Even in the early days of all this, I rang the ticketing people a number of times to understand what the strategy was, because we need to work with them to sell our accommodation.”
Bennett Mountjoy, owner of Snowline Hotel Harrietville, says he was ‘blindsided’ by Vail Resorts’ decision to close the lifts. James Fernyhough
It had been a slow start to the season for Mount Hotham, with some of the worst early conditions in 20 years. As a result, Vail had opened the resort only on Monday, with just a fraction of the lifts running. While Vail says it will consider reopening lifts on August 19, few locals think that is likely. It looks now like the 2020 season will have run for a grand total of four days.
“Personally I would have thought it would have been smarter if we didnt open this season, and I know a lot of businesses didnt want to,” said Liz Hoy, whose family owns four ski hire shops in Mount Hotham, Dinner Plain and Harrietville. “Financially we were going to lose money. Certainly if some of our employees werent on JobKeeper it wouldnt have been financially viable to open at all.
[Victorian Premier] Daniel Andrews wanted to open the snow season to generate revenue for the economy. But under the COVID regulations it was very difficult to operate because we cant fit a ski boot. Thats too close to somebody. If someone tries on a piece of rental equipment, I have to wash it every single article. You cant try on goggles to sell them. Theyre too close to your face.
She said she believed Vail’s decision was financial rather than health-based. “Theyve looked at their revenue in America and decided its not worth it for us,” she said.
Her business relies on the revenue it receives from hiring out skis, snowboards, clothing and snow chains. She is now facing 18 months of essentially no revenue. But she said the business would survive.
“Because were an 80-year-old family business, we always say this is like snowfarming. So if you cant ride a bad crop, you shouldnt be in the game,” she said.
“There was always an expectation in our mind that a bad season was coming, but certainly not to this devastating extent. Can the family ride it out? Yes, because weve been here so long. And youve got to build some fat in your business. But its not an ideal scenario,” she said.
“Swanny” runs a cafe and bakery with his wife Nikki on the main drag in Harrietville. He said he had watched “an exodus” from the snow following Thursday’s shock announcement. The village was eerily quiet on Friday morning during what would be peak season under normal circumstances.
“Wed be flat out normally. We have buses coming in, so theres 30, 40 people at a time. Thats not going to happen now,” he said. The strict social distancing and hygeine regulations have forced the cafe to offer takeaway only, even after the statewide restrictions were lifted.
“Theres two of us that work here, we just havent got enough time to clean up after everyone if we have to follow the health regulations and clean every space thats been utilised when people have been here.
He also said he thought it was unlikely the lifts would open in August.

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