From house to loser

105 million euros! Ski resorts invest heavily

Thick snow at the industry meeting on the Dachstein: "Krone" Managing Director Gerhard Valeskini (left) was present as a guest, alongside Georg Bliem (Planai), Fabrice Girardoni (Stuhleck) and Oliver Käfer (Chamber of Commerce).

(Bild: Christoph Kleinsasser)

Styrian cable car companies are investing significantly more this year than in previous years: 105 million euros! New gondolas on the Loser and in Rohrmoos as well as the most powerful cable car in Styria on the Hauser Kaibling are particularly significant.

The new 8-seater chairlift called "Kaiblinggrat" can transport 3600 winter sports enthusiasts per hour: it replaces the four-seater "Quattralpina" chairlift from 1992 and takes guests up to the transmitter plateau (1870 meters above sea level) in four and a half minutes. This coming winter will also see the premiere of the panorama lift on the Loser, which can now be built after delays and local opposition: The new gondolas will replace two existing chairlifts.

The third major project is being realized in the Schladming-Roormoos region: The 10-passenger gondola lift Rohrmoos I is being built to replace an old double chairlift. For the first time, skis can be stored directly in the gondola. In addition, there are of course many other smaller investments in almost all winter sports regions, for example in snow-making facilities.

It's already winter on the mountains
High up in the new Dachstein mountain station on Friday, the Styrian cable car companies looked optimistically to the winter at their annual conference - appropriately in thick snow. They also confidently point out their importance for the local economy: "Every euro that flows into our industry generates seven times the added value in the entire region."

The cable car companies employ 1300 people directly. They operate 190 lifts, including 43 chairlifts and 14 gondolas. A total of almost 1000 kilometers of slopes await. From small ski resorts to the large four-mountain ski area, from professional athletes to freeriders and beginners: "The diversity makes Styria one of the most attractive winter destinations for everyone," emphasizes industry spokesperson Fabrice Girardoni (Stuhleck). 

The Manova Institute has collected figures from around 40,000 guests in recent years: "80 percent are returning guests, a third come to the local ski resorts every year and one in five even come several times a season. In addition, around 80 percent of guests rate the price-performance ratio as very good or good," says Girardoni.