Fake ski trainers scamming people at famous resorts
BURSA
A scam by people posing as ski trainers, instructing visitors without proper teaching certificates, is becoming common at famous Turkish winter hotspot Uludağ, an expert has warned, adding that inadequate training can lead to life-threatening injuries.
Uludağ, Türkiye's first and largest winter and extreme sports center in the northwestern province of Bursa with 17 hotels, facilities and a 5,000-bed capacity, welcomed 2024 without snow, but snowfall soon blanketed the mountain around mid-January, offering enthralling views and winter sports activities to tourists.
Welcoming tourists from Arab and Asian countries as well as domestic tourists during the semester break, Uludağ also hosted university students at the Winter Festival held on Feb. 4-15. The "White Paradise," which has witnessed intermittent snowfall lately, has been on top of the list of people keen on learning skiing due to its high slopes.
Turkish Ski and Snowboard Teachers Association President Yahya Usta, also a former national skier, said that certified instructors are necessary at ski resorts to prevent people from falling in danger.
“The association has 400 members across the country. Even if you have a 30-star hotel, nothing happens without snow, mechanical facilities and the biggest element here, ski instructors,” he said.
Emphasizing the importance of fast education, Usta said, "We are better than Europeans in terms of education. But if you go to Europe today, they take six hours to impart the education we teach in just two hours.”
Stressing the importance of hiring only certified ski trainers, Usta said, "A skier recently suffered an injury and is still hospitalized. Lessons should be taken from certified instructors. We have asked for support from the local government for that matter."
He warned that people who come to enjoy skiing can end up getting seriously injured at the hands of fake instructors, turning their hope of a wonderful holiday experience into regret and a nightmare.