WIf you are preparing for a skiing holiday in Austria next winter, you will have to plan far more than before. The high price increases in the course of the Russian war of aggression against the Ukraine are also reflected in the winter sports centers. This applies to accommodation and the use of lifts. On average, fans of winter sports have to budget around 8 percent more for their lift tickets in the 2022/23 season, according to a survey by the Austria Press Agency.
In some cases, the operators also want to cushion the extremely high costs with energy-saving measures. However, the scope is presented as limited: After all, intensive work has already been done on efficiency and consumption has been reduced by around 20 percent in the past ten years, the providers argue.
“Less is more” seems to be the principle in times of war and the loss of real income. Less station lighting, switching off seat heating or less night skiing are being considered. The cable car speed could also be reduced from 5 to 6 to 4 to 4.5 meters per second at midday or in the early afternoon. Proposals are with the responsible minister, announced the spokesman for the cable car industry and ÖVP politician Franz Hörl. The industry is now waiting for specific guidelines, it is said.
At the same time, Hörl said that tourism’s energy consumption was overestimated. According to surveys by the Federal Environment Agency, accommodation, gastronomy and cable cars only account for around 1.55 percent of Austria’s total energy consumption. Winter tourism accounts for only about 0.9 percent of total consumption.
Lifts should run more slowly
In any case, noticeably higher lift ticket prices are certain throughout Austria. In the most popular winter travel destination, Tyrol, prices are likely to rise by an average of 7 to 8 percent, says the Tyrolean hotelier Hörl. The energy saving potential, in turn, is up to 12 percent, one is “aware of this responsibility”, said the ÖVP deputy. It is unclear whether the significant price surge will affect demand. From the point of view of the managing director of Tirol Tourist Board, Karin Seiler, many people will wait and see how the situation develops. Short-term bookings are the result.
In Vorarlberg, too, lift prices will increase by an average of 8 percent, announced Andreas Gapp, chairman of the cable car industry there. The mountain railways in the Montafon and in the Brandnertal rely on “dynamic pricing” for the first time. The fares are adjusted according to various factors. For example, if you book early and online, you pay less on days with less occupancy. The companies also meet the challenges with a so-called dynamic driving operation. “If we reduce the driving speed from six to five meters per second, 15 percent of energy can be saved,” explained Gapp – even if that will not be possible every day. Operating times could be shortened, seat heating not switched on.
In the state of Salzburg, alpinists have to reckon with 6.5 to 11 percent higher lift prices. However, the sound barrier of 70 euros for the day ticket is not broken. At the same time, the lift operators are also considering where energy costs can be reduced, said local cable car spokesman Erich Egger. The speed of the cable car systems is to be adjusted to the number of guests more than before. In concrete terms, this means: If fewer skiers use the lifts in the off-season or at certain times of the day, the speed is throttled and adjusted. Floodlight skiing should be restricted and the seat heaters should only be operated when this is necessary due to the low temperatures. “But we will do everything we can to operate the ski areas to the usual extent,” says Egger.
Climate change makes skiing more expensive
It is still unclear to what extent the prices for accommodation will increase. However, selective comparisons certainly suggest price increases in the double-digit percentage range. Tourism State Secretary Susanne Kraus-Winkler (ÖVP) sees catch-up effects after two years of the pandemic and in view of rising energy prices. “You have to understand that in the two years of the pandemic there have been almost no price increases,” she said recently.
It’s not just the inflation associated with the war in Ukraine that makes skiing more expensive. Because of climate change and the associated costs, the magic of the slopes in the Alps has become expensive over the past decade and a half. Without artificial snow, winter tourism in the southern neighboring country, which is one of the most important alpine sports destinations, could be stopped. Most regions use technical snowmaking on a large scale. Even with climate-conscious behavior, the snow cover in Austria will continue to melt in the coming decades. According to the current status, glacier death cannot be prevented. The tourism industry, on which much of the country’s prosperity depends, can still see returns on their investments.
