“Underestimated but indispensable”: in Austria, the assembly of Styria’s cableway operators commits to enhancing and maintaining small resorts

Renate Gotschl, the conference’s guest of honour, explained how her career began in small, family-run resorts, demonstrating their importance for young skiers and for embarking on a high-level competitive career. “Skiing means exercising, spending time in nature, getting away from screens, and it is a sport that transcends generations,” emphasised Daniel Berchtaller, president of the cableway association within the Styrian Chamber of Commerce.

The need to safeguard and support the development of smaller ski areas has been confirmed by the Styrian government, which has allocated a dedicated fund of one million euros to support investments in medium-sized and small ski areas: “This is essential funding for many resorts, enabling them to keep their facilities operational at a modern and satisfactory standard,” said Bertchtaller.

At the meeting, Doppelmayr illustrated the opportunities offered to smaller ski resorts by used and modernised lifts: in addition to significantly lower investment costs, there is also a positive effect resulting from the extended reuse of the infrastructure. Reuse is also possible for snowmaking systems and piste bashers: “this also allows smaller ski resorts to operate efficiently and sustainably,” Bertchtaller pointed out.

Over the past year, the sector invested 76 million in maintaining and expanding its infrastructure, with the largest individual investment being the 18.5 million allocated to the eight-seater chairlift at Kreischberg, the only new lift built this year. A significant portion of the funds was allocated to improving snowmaking systems, with the increasingly crucial goal of maximising their efficiency in order to make the best possible use of every available cold spell.

Among the topics addressed at the assembly was the issue of school snow trips: currently, participation by at least 70% of a class’s students is required for activities lasting several days, while the first two years of primary school are limited to a maximum duration of five hours. This makes it practically impossible to organise a snow trip, including a snack, for children in the first years of primary school. Moreover, the 70% threshold is particularly restrictive, and the assembly is calling for it to be lowered or for measures to make it more flexible.

With around 190 lifts, Styria’s cableway operators serve 988 kilometres of ski slopes, directly employing 1,300 people and creating a further 8,800 jobs in related sectors. “The entire value chain generates €530 million, much of which comes from accommodation and catering,” the lift operators concluded, highlighting the sector’s fundamental socioeconomic contribution to the Styrian mountains.