Salzburg Lift Co’s Are Optimistic For The Winter Season
A positive atmosphere prevailed at the recent annual conference of the Salzburg cable car industry in St. Johann im Pongau, as the outlook for the upcoming winter season is very promising.
Local hoteliers are reporting strong bookings through February, and the Austrian National Tourist Office's winter potential study also anticipates a successful season. According to the study, 77% of potential tourists from both domestic and international markets can envision a ski holiday in Austria. Advance sales for the Super Ski Card are also performing exceptionally well. "This year we are 30% above last year's level," said a delighted Erich Egger, chairman of the cable car association.
Nevertheless, the industry is plagued by sharply increased costs and excessive bureaucracy. Over the past three years, energy costs have risen by 130%, personnel costs by 23%, and inflation by 16%. New projects are being hampered by excessively long environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures. "Due to delays in the construction of the new Kapellenbahn cable car on the Schmittenhöhe, we have to factor in additional costs of up to €800,000," said Egger. To change this, genuine reform efforts from policymakers are needed. This year, a total of around €100 million was invested in improvement measures.
The world's leading winter sports nation
Nevertheless, the industry is convinced it can offer a product that compares favorably internationally. "We are competing with the USA and France for the number one position in ski and cable car offerings. Guests perceive us as the world's leading winter sports nation," Egger emphasizes.
Kornel Grundner, spokesperson for the Best Austrian Summer Mountain Lifts, gave a positive summary of the past summer season: "67% of the 82 member businesses were able to increase their revenues compared to the previous season." A large-scale guest survey yielded a great deal of positive feedback. The friendliness of the staff and the high experiential value of the mountain attractions were particularly highlighted. 80% of the cable cars are accessible by public transport, and 78% already have their own photovoltaic system.
