Appeal to Institutions: Bormio's businesses and tourist-accommodation businesses raise alarm ahead of the Olympics Milano-Cortina 2026.

"Red zones, access restrictions, and construction sites: this is how we risk closure in the heart of the winter season."

Bormio, December 1, 2025 – The main businesses, hospitality businesses, and sports activities in the Bormio ski area are launching an urgent appeal to all institutions, the Lombardy Region, and President Attilio Fontana. Two months before the opening of the Winter Olympic Games, Milano-Cortina 2026, local operators denounce a situation they call "unsustainable," characterized by forced closures, limited access, and the lack of a clear operational plan to manage the event's impact on the local area.

The joint appeal is signed by the management of Chalet La Rocca, Hotel Ristorante Gallo Cedrone, Hotel Girasole 2000, Ristorante Kiosko Gallo Cedrone, Scuola Sci Gallo Cedrone, Noleggio Gallo Cedrone, Oltre Alpine Hotel, Ristorante I Laghetti, Chiosco da Michele, and Bosk Bas, businesses that have been a cornerstone of the Valtellina resort's tourist offering for years.

"Our activities will be virtually unreachable during the most important period of the year."

Entrepreneurs in the sector do not hide their concern: the decisions made by the organizing bodies – including the Foundation Milano Cortina 2026 – have made arrangements to ensure safety and logistics during the competitions, including the establishment of large red zones and strict access restrictions right next to the facilities involved.

These measures, operators complain, "will make it impossible for customers to reach us between January and February, the busiest weeks of the winter season." This damage adds to the "exhausting coexistence with the Olympic construction sites" that has already affected summer 2025, with delays, diversions, and a drastic drop in tourist numbers.

Despite numerous meetings and site inspections over the past two years, companies say "no concrete operational plan has been shared" to mitigate the economic impact of the event on accommodations, restaurants, ski schools, and rentals, nor on the seasonal staff who depend on those weeks of work.

"The enthusiasm for the Olympics cannot erase such evident critical issues."

While acknowledging the strategic importance of the Olympic event for the region, operators explain that enthusiasm isn't enough to compensate for the current situation, which they describe as "dramatic." Many of them had offered to host staff, volunteers, and technical delegations, but they complain that their cooperation hasn't been received or valued.

The economic consequences could be severe, and, they emphasize, "there are no safeguards to compensate for the loss of revenue or protect workers." For seasonal businesses, closing during the peak season means a compromised year.

"We are effectively being denied the right to work," they state bitterly, "in the absence of clear instructions on the times, methods of access, and limitations set by the Olympic organization."

The request: "Immediate support is needed or many businesses will not survive."

The Economic Activities Delegation calls on the institutions to intervene without further delay, particularly in light of President Attilio Fontana's visit to Bormio scheduled for today. The request is twofold:

1. A detailed and immediate operational plan on access measures and red zones, which guarantees visibility and advance notice to operators.
2. The urgent establishment of a compensation fund, or in any case of a financial support mechanism intended for businesses and workers penalized by the Olympic limitations.

According to entrepreneurs, without timely intervention, many businesses risk an irreversible crisis, with repercussions not only on the local economy but also on employment and the overall image of the ski area.

"We will not stop demanding answers: we defend the right to work."

Concluding the document, the signatories reiterate their desire to continue engaging with the authorities and to seek concrete protections for themselves, their employees, and the customers "who have chosen Bormio for their holidays for years."

"We will not stop demanding answers and protection of the right to work," they write, "because this is not just an economic problem: it concerns the survival of our businesses, of the families who live off mountain tourism, and of the very identity of the area."

Signatories of the appeal

• Chalet La Rocca
• Hotel Restaurant Gallo Cedrone
• Hotel Girasole 2000
• Gallo Cedrone Kiosk Restaurant
• Gallo Cedrone Ski School
• Capercaillie Rental
• Beyond Alpine Hotel
• I Laghetti Restaurant
• Michele's Kiosk
• Bosk Bas