Carinthian Lift Co’s Guarantee Successful Outdoor Experiences
Energy, sustainability and investments in the future: The Carinthian cable car companies discussed key topics at the annual conference and want to continue to position themselves as an attractive alpine ski country.
More snow than in the rest of Austria last winter, then a good summer and fantastic weather in autumn: although the Carinthian cable car industry is still in the middle of the season and the lifts are open for sun-hungry hikers until the beginning of November, a positive conclusion can already be drawn as Manuel Kapeller-Hopfgartner, chairman of the WK cable car specialist group, revealed at this year's specialist group meeting: “We will probably have transported around 1.1 million people again and are therefore a guarantee for successful outdoor experiences in the summer too. We are an excellent point of contact for locals and tourists when it comes to spending their free time in the fresh air.”
Infrastructure and sustainability
Despite the positive balance, the cable car industry faces many challenges. “In order to continue to maintain value creation in Carinthia, we are working intensively on future topics such as energy, sustainability and investments. The path to sustainable winter tourism should be continued even more strategically. The basis for this is a sustainability guideline that was developed by the cable car companies. Young talent is also very important to us. Our companies are trying very hard, but a lot of things can only be implemented together with stakeholders and politicians. “We found a good basis for discussion here,” reported Kapeller-Hopfgartner. This was also confirmed by Sebastian Schuschnig, State Councilor for Economic Affairs, Tourism and Transport: “We now have a joint planning group and are working on various projects, such as renewable energy.” In order to support small ski areas in Carinthia, the funding system was redesigned. “It’s important to me that children can learn to ski,” emphasized Schuschnig. In the future we will pull together even more. In winter, the ski areas want to confidently position themselves as an Alpine ski country together with tourism. There will be affordable ski days for schools again next season.
Attractive employer in the regions
The Carinthian cable car industry is an important employer in the region in summer and winter and trains skilled workers itself. For example, training to be a cable car technician is an exciting career with a future. “Cable cars score points with a workplace in the mountains, a varied job, a good atmosphere among colleagues and of course with the opportunity to do winter sports,” says Ricarda Rubik from the marketing forum of the Austrian Cable Car Association. The new online portal www.karriereamberg.at provides information about current jobs and career opportunities in the cable car industry.
Safety first: training for operations managers
General revision, guidelines, information sheets, visual rope inspections – the operations managers of the Carinthian cable car companies take on important tasks. New regulations and laws were discussed at an exclusive workshop with Christian Felder, who, as an engineering firm, is an expert in testing electrical systems, among other things. “It was all about practical implementation. The operations managers of the Carinthian cable car companies do an excellent job and are aware of their great responsibility. With what they have learned, they can take measures directly in their companies,” says Felder.
