Andorra Ski Instructors Elect New Board Amid Declining Conditions Complaints

Ski instructors in Andorra have held their ordinary general assembly, electing a new board amid ongoing complaints about declining working conditions, client safety, and a lack of local professionals in the sector.

Carles Iriarte, president of the Andorran Ski Instructors Association (AAME), confirmed ahead of Wednesday evening's meeting that a candidacy had been submitted for the board renewal. No one ran in the previous elections, leaving the board in a caretaker role, but Iriarte stressed the need for legitimate leadership to tackle pressing issues. The assembly approved the new board, providing "more legitimacy to the decisions we take," he said, as the group addresses longstanding problems.

A key focus was the scarcity of Andorran instructors at ski schools—"you can count them on the fingers of one hand," Iriarte noted—despite Andorra's reputation for World Cup events and extensive skiable terrain. He urged the Education Ministry to prioritise support for locals before relying on foreign workers, blaming poor labour conditions such as four-month seasons at minimum wage. Many young Andorrans starting the EFPEM training programme drop out, seeing no viable career path, he added. The association aims to make sports educator roles a realistic job option for nationals.

Iriarte reiterated that conditions are worse than last year, much worse than five years ago, and far worse than 20 years ago, in terms of labour safety for instructors and safety for clients. He accused administrations of "total abandonment," claiming it amounts to consumer fraud as skiers pay for promised services—including language skills, Andorran techniques, and labour protections—that go undelivered. Many local instructors have left the profession or moved abroad.

Weeks earlier, AAME met with Education Minister Ladislau Baró and representatives, presenting ten specific demands, six non-negotiable. The government responded to only one, rejecting a private company's qualification for lacking quality and official endorsement from any education ministry or international body. Colleagues abroad advised the association to handle it internally, Iriarte said. Replies on the rest remain pending, with issues like the decline of school ski programmes dragging on for years.