Ski instructor, a dying profession? This is the opinion of this veteran for whom this profession no longer pays enough and attracts fewer and fewer enthusiasts.
Alberto Kostner, 65, is not only the mayor of Moena, in the Val di Fassa (Italian Dolomites) but also for 40 years an instructor and director of the local ski school. He says today that the job of ski instructor has changed significantly in recent years. There would be fewer and fewer ski instructors who do this job for decades but many more temporary employees, who do this activity for a few years at most.
According to him, “there is no shortage of enthusiasts, it is a profession which still arouses enthusiasm. But the truth is that today, compared to in the past, there is a lot of turnover. Forty years ago, ski instructors were mainly craftsmen who spent the season on the slopes, today the new profiles are mainly students. Once their studies are finished, they find a job and leave.”
One of the reasons for this is that the profession pays much less than before. “In 1981, when I started, with a few seasons as a ski instructor, you could buy a house. Naturally, the income depends on where you work, but you made a good living. Today we comes to 3,000-3,500 euros gross. After deducting taxes and expenses (equipment and ski passes), that leaves 2,000-2,500: it’s not a bad salary, but it’s not comparable to the one from 40 years ago.”
The explanation for this drop in income for ski instructors? “Management costs have exploded. In the past, we opened the office at the beginning of December and closed it at Easter. Today, the school is operational 365 days a year, with permanent employees and costs that did not exist before .” This has repercussions on the instructors’ salaries, which are necessarily less generous.
Finally, the ski school manager also notes the change in the profile of his customers. “A few years ago, it was divided equally between adults and children. Today, 85% of customers are children, so it is necessary to have certain skills, which the youngest do not lack.” There are also many foreigners. “In the past, ‘foreigners’ were Germans, today they come from all over the world. And in this case, having university students who know languages, especially English, is a great advantage.” indicates the leader in a column.
