Gastein Lift Co’ Has A Positive Summer
Gasteiner Bergbahnen AG is drawing a very positive interim conclusion for the year. In summer 2025, the magic mark of 200,000 admissions was surpassed. Particularly encouraging is the significant upward trend in online ticket sales and season tickets, which should enable a continuation of the positive trend in view of the autumn hiking season in the Gastein Valley. Gastein is thus continuously developing into a year-round destination.
"We are very satisfied with the summer," emphasizes Andreas Innerhofer, CEO of the cable car company. He sees not only the figures themselves as positive, but also the visitor response. The construction work around the Schlossalmbahn mountain station barely impacted visitors' leisure experience, as the company was well prepared with its offerings, guest guidance, and advance communication. "The guests were well informed and know that the new construction of our mountain restaurant is a further investment in optimal infrastructure," emphasizes the cable car company's CEO.
4,500 admissions on the busiest summer day
This excellent result was driven not least by a new record for summer season tickets (up 11 percent compared to 2024) and a roughly 25 percent increase in ticket purchases in the online shop ticket.skigastein.com. A successful mix of point-of-sales communication and online campaigns, as well as attractive offers from hotel partners, played a key role in this success. The increase also demonstrates the increasing use of the online early bird bonus – the top price for a one-time ascent and descent can be up to 23 percent lower than the ticket price. For the "Almorama Card," the online share even increased to over 50 percent. The multi-day offer allows for flexible planning of your stay and is valid for two days, six days, or as a subscription within a longer period.
The hiking swing days were very well received. On most Mondays and once a month on weekends or public holidays, the Stubnerkogel and Schlossalm cable cars, as well as the Senderbahn and Kaserebenbahn, were in operation, providing a connection from Bad Gastein via the Angertal valley to Bad Hofgastein. An average of 2,700 entries were recorded on the event days. Well over 4,000 entries were recorded for the evening ascent to the "Mountains in Flames" solstice celebration and on the Assumption of Mary Day.
"The figures demonstrate that Gastein has become even more attractive as a summer destination. This is due not only to our communication strategy, but also to a low-threshold, highly customer-oriented offering. For example, we offer an online bonus up to one day before use of the cable car, have intuitively operated vending machines on site, and, of course, a top-notch ticket office team. We are particularly pleased that locals also took advantage of the evening rides and hiking swing days in large numbers," notes Marketing Director Markus Papai. As an economic driver and major employer, the company places particular importance on its connection with the regional community. This is also demonstrated by its participation in the new "Community Card," which offers locals additional attractive discounts.
Golden hiking autumn until November 9
The cable cars are optimistic about the current autumn hiking season. The Schlossalmbahn cable car will remain open until November 9th, weather permitting (additional Ascension Day days from November 6th to 9th), and the Graukogel cable car will operate on weekends until November 2nd. This allows those seeking relaxation to continue exploring the Zirbenweg (pine stone path) through the ancient forests on the Graukogel or tackling the somewhat more challenging tour to Palfnersee.
Gastein also has a solution for bad weather days: With the Mountain and Thermal Spa Card, you can use the cable cars or the thermal baths in Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein, depending on the weather. This combination is available as a 2-in-1 season ticket or as a multi-day ticket, making it ideal for an autumn holiday in the Gastein Valley.
Long-term upward trend in summer operations
Chief Financial Officer Benjamin Rogl sees a long-term trend in the positive summer: “The development in the summer season has been very good for years, including in 2025, which seamlessly followed on from the record result of the previous year.
With the extension of the summer operating hours – the Schlossalm and Graukogel cable cars will remain open until November 2nd, and the Schlossalm cable car will also be open from November 6th to 9th if the weather is good – we now have a total of over 170 operating days and a very attractive offer." Winter guests are also already benefiting from this, because with the winter season ticket "ALL-IN Card White" and the SuperSkiCard, you can also use the autumn operation since October 11th.
This positive development is an important signal not only from an economic perspective. Gastein Bergbahnen is a leading company with 130 year-round employees and up to 240 in the winter. This makes the cable car company one of the largest employers in the Gastein Valley.
Quality and sustainability go hand in hand
The fact that the Gastein Valley's unbroken popularity goes hand in hand with the region's clear commitment to sustainable tourism is another plus for Andreas Innerhofer. The Gastein Mountain Railways support this focus, among other things, through the construction and expansion of photovoltaic and solar systems for self-sufficient energy generation, a commitment to covering 100 percent of their own needs with green electricity, reforestation projects, and collaboration with regional partners. A further reduction in the CO2 footprint will be achieved by converting the vehicle fleet to HVO fuel made from waste oil. "In addition, the ÖBB resumed rail service in the Gastein Valley on July 14th. This will enable our guests to arrive and depart sustainably in the fall and beyond. With the new timetable starting in December, Bad Gastein can even be reached every hour by ICE, IC, or Railjet – from Vienna, Linz, Munich, Dortmund, Hamburg, and many other cities," the CEO concluded.
