Tirol plagued by traffic

Rainer: “Tourism is not to blame for everything!”

The Brettfall Tunnel in the Zillertal is a critical point. But a lot of the traffic is homemade.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer, Christian Forcher)

In an interview with the "Krone" newspaper, Alois Rainer, Chairman of the Tourism Division of the Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce, dispels a few preconceptions about traffic in Tyrol and the Zillertal in particular.

"If you follow the discussions of the last few weeks, you get the impression that there is one main culprit for the high volume of traffic in and through Tirol - namely tourism. But that is not the truth. Tourism is not to blame for everything!" Alois Rainer, the responsible division chairman in the WK Tirol, has clear words in an interview with the "Krone".

There are 270,000 vehicles on the road in Tyrol every day, seven percent of which are overnight guests, the rest are commuters, suppliers and transit.

Sparten-Obmann Alois Rainer

And he cites an example on his doorstep - he is the landlord of the post office in Strass in Zillertal: "During the Corona period, we had block clearance in front of the Brettfall Tunnel twice a day - and that's without any guests. That's home-made traffic! There are just as many people commuting to work in the valley as there are from the valley. Some drive to their employer in the valley in their private car and then drive out again in the company car - for example to a construction site."

Alois Rainer, Chairman of the Tourism Division of the Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce (left), in conversation with Markus Gassler, Head of Service at the "Tiroler Krone".(Bild: Christian Forcher)

270,000 vehicles on the road in Tyrol every day 
He backs up his statements with figures: Traffic in Tirol has increased by 65 percent in the last 20 years, but tourist arrivals have only increased by 18 percent. "There are 270,000 vehicles on the road in Tirol every day, just over seven percent of which are overnight guests - the rest are commuters, suppliers and transit," Rainer points out the facts. Incidentally, 193,000 people commute to work in the entire province of Tyrol every day.

We are already making an effort, but of course we won't get everyone to travel by public transport overnight.

Sparten-Obmann Alois Rainer

"Trying to increase the proportion of public transport journeys"
Rainer does not deny that there is a standstill at weekends in certain regions such as the Zillertal, Achensee, around Kitzbühel or on the Fernpass due to vacation traffic. "We are doing everything we can to keep traffic as low as possible. Of course, it would be desirable if more guests came by train and bus. But that's not so easy - especially in winter with bulky luggage," emphasizes Rainer.

However, more and more tourists are renting top-quality ski equipment locally instead of using their own 30-year-old skis. "And the public transport offer in the tourist regions, which is of course also available to locals, is also good. We are already making an effort," emphasizes the top WK tourism expert, "but of course we won't get all guests to travel by public transport overnight. It's a process that takes time!"