While there is a lot going on on the slopes in the east of the country, the ski strongholds remain deserted
In many ski areas, cable car operations have long been restricted, others are considering ticking off the season entirely, says industry spokesman Franz Hörl and presents an analysis by the market research institute Manova. According to this, there will be up to 80 percent fewer skiers on the slopes this year.
“In terms of sales, the negative result will have an even greater impact due to the shift towards season tickets,” says Hörl. The study assumes a drop in intake of 76 to 91 percent. In absolute numbers, there is talk of 1.3 billion euros less in net sales. In many places, the signs are pointing to closure, says Hörl: “In view of the entrepreneurial responsibility, a responsible manager has no other option for liability reasons alone with his owner if the outlook is negative.”
East-West divide
Whereby the utilization in the individual regions is different. In the Innsbruck area it is 40 percent, in the Zillertal 12 percent, in the east of the country things are going much better. “But nobody does earn money there either,” says Hörl. After all, not as many people are allowed up the mountain as in the past and the costs for the cable car users are higher due to the safety measures. The opening from Christmas is a “philanthropic project, but not a profitable one”. If the cable car users were to simply switch off their systems and give the locals their season tickets back, it would be cheaper than keeping them open, he says. An average company therefore costs EUR 20,000 per opening day.
