Carinthian Lift Co’s Meet At Nassfeld
Carinthia's cable car industry met at Nassfeld for this year's specialist group conference to discuss key future issues and upcoming challenges. A highlight, in addition to tours of the Tröglbahn and Gartnerkofelbahn cable cars, was the election of the new spokesperson for "Best Austrian Summer Mountain Railways".
They are among the key drivers of local tourism, and their importance extends far beyond the winter season. Representatives from across Carinthia came together at this year's conference of the Carinthian cable car industry to discuss current developments, economic conditions, and future strategies.
Josef Bogensperger, Chairman of the Carinthian Cable Car Association and Managing Director of the Katschberg cable cars, emphasized the central role of these companies as reliable partners in tourism and significant regional employers. He particularly highlighted the energy efficiency of Carinthian mountain railways: they are among the most economical modes of transport in the region, make a substantial contribution to sustainable tourism development, and despite their high transport capacities, require only a fraction of the energy of other systems. "Cable cars in Carinthia consume only about 1.2% of the region's total energy. The share of the frequently discussed artificial snowmaking is even lower, at just 0.3%. Through measures such as heat recovery and efficiency improvements, operators have been able to reduce their energy consumption by approximately 20% in recent years."
Current industry topics and presentations
Representatives of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber's (WKO) cable car association presented key issues currently facing the Austrian cable car industry. Peter Winkler highlighted ongoing discussions regarding legal matters, particularly concerning local fares and EU-related regulations. Nadine Illetschko presented the latest results of a nationwide employee survey and outlined measures companies can take to enhance their attractiveness as employers. Christian Felder, Chairman of the Technical Committee, explained technical developments and the new training content for operations managers, which will be mandatory in the future.
Visit to the new facilities at Nassfeld
During the conference, participants were given an exclusive look at the latest infrastructure projects in the Nassfeld ski area. They visited the newly constructed 10-person Gartnerkofel cable car, which will go into operation in December 2025 with an investment volume of 16 million euros, as well as the Trögl cable car, which opened last year.
Klaus Herzog, Managing Director of Nassfeld Lift GesmbH & Co KG, emphasized the importance of the Gartnerkofelbahn: “The new 10-person gondola lift is a significant step in the technical and qualitative development of the ski area. It creates comfort, capacity, and new opportunities for both summer and winter.” Christian Krisper, CEO of Bergbahnen Nassfeld Pramollo AG, added: “The Trögelbahn, which went into operation last year, is a technological milestone. With a transport capacity of 3,000 people per hour, it is the most powerful lift in the Alps.” Both added that, together with further modernizations, including investments of seven million euros in snowmaking, slopes, and the children's practice area, this reinforces the claim to be among the best ski resorts in Austria.
Re-election of the spokesperson for "Best Austrian Summer Mountain Railways"
During the conference, the election of a new spokesperson for the "Best Austrian Summer Mountain Lifts" in the state of Carinthia was also held. Markus Ramsbacher, responsible for marketing and project management at the Gerlitzen Mountain Lifts since October, will take over this role from Stefanie Hopfgartner, the commercial and administrative director of the Goldeck Mountain Lifts. Ramsbacher announced plans to further expand the quality initiative and joint marketing activities of the summer mountain lifts, which, with their five member companies (Gerlitzen Alpe Mountain Lifts, Goldeck Mountain Lifts, Bad Kleinkirchheim Mountain Lifts, Turracher Höhe, Katschberg Lifts, and Nassfeld Mountain Lifts), are a key pillar of tourism in Carinthia.
Even though there's no snow in sight yet, anticipation for the upcoming winter season is high. "With the investments, the new technical standards, and the clear strategic priorities, we are ideally prepared for the winter season. The businesses have undergone extensive modernization in recent months – from new lift systems and optimized snowmaking to improved service offerings. Thanks to modern infrastructure, efficient snow production, and consistent maintenance, the facilities are ready to go," concluded Josef Bogensperger, head of the trade association.
