Winter wonderland

Winter tourism is a billion-euro business

In Vorarlberg, everything is in place for a successful 2024/25 winter season - and there is also plenty of snow, at least in the mountains!

(Bild: SoS)

Vorarlberg's tourism and leisure industry generates around two and a half billion euros a year, of which well over half (52 percent) is generated in the winter months from November to April. The winter season will really pick up speed in the next two weeks due to the good snow conditions.

Over 1000 kilometers of slopes
302 kilometers of fun on the slopes await winter sports enthusiasts in the "Ski Arlberg" ski area. Since the merger of the Lech-Zürs and Warth-Schröcken ski areas, the Arlberg region can once again claim to be the largest ski area in Austria. The Silvretta-Montafon region follows in second place with 140 kilometers of pistes. With 109 kilometers, the Bregenzerwald top dog Mellau-Damüls also makes it onto the podium, while Brandnertal is in fourth place with 64 kilometers of slopes.

Unlimited fun on the slopes: There are over 1000 kilometers of perfectly groomed ski slopes in Vorarlberg.

(Bild: BAETZ PATRICK)

231 euros spent per day
The average daily expenditure per person in vacation tourism (in paid accommodation, excluding travel) in Vorarlberg in winter is 231 euros. This means that winter guests are significantly more willing to spend than summer vacationers, who spend an average of EUR 153 per day. This disparity is primarily due to the expensive ski passes. In general, the price level in Ländle has risen noticeably in recent years due to inflation - more so than in the surrounding countries.

Vorarlberg has become more expensive in recent years. However, the quality is also top.

(Bild: Mantis)

4,947,900 overnight stays
Vorarlberg's tourism industry recorded almost five million overnight stays in winter 2023/24. Although the record figure from the 2017/18 season (5.1 million) was not reached, the result was still above the average of previous years. With over 2.8 million overnight stays, guests from Germany were once again in the majority. The Dutch were in second place (525,000 overnight stays), with the Swiss and Liechtenstein in third place (518,000 overnight stays).

Full beds: Almost five million overnight stays were recorded in Vorarlberg last winter.

(Bild: SKVALVAL)

Over 70,000 beds
Vorarlberg has a capacity of almost 72,000 beds in winter (excluding campsites), half of which (36,000) are accounted for by the more than 1,000 commercial hotels and vacation apartments. The offer is completed by around 3200 private hosts. With over 22,000 beds, the Montafon has the largest capacity of all winter sports regions. It is followed by the Bregenzerwald (16,300) and the Bludenz Alpine region (11,500). On the Arlberg, the class is spread over a manageable 8300 beds.

Just under 72,000 beds are available in the Ländle - most of the establishments are run by families.

(Bild: Stefan Kothenr Photography)

287 cable cars and lifts are in operation in winter
There are a total of 32 ski areas in Vorarlberg - weather permitting, over 280 cable cars and lifts are in operation on a perfect winter's day. The cable car industry is extremely investment-intensive; in recent decades, cable car companies have reinvested an average of over 30 percent of their turnover. The lifts in the Ländle are among the most modern in the world - also thanks to local know-how (keyword Doppelmayr).

The modern lift facilities in Vorarlberg need fear no comparison internationally.

(Bild: Mathis Fotografie)

20,000 jobs in the tourism industry
The demand for tourism creates almost 20,000 jobs in Vorarlberg (full-time, calculated over the whole year), which is more than eleven percent of all employed persons. The sector therefore plays a key role in the labor market. And in contrast to other sectors, the number of jobs has risen steadily in recent years. However, the domestic market is no longer able to meet demand - over a third of employees come from abroad.

There are more jobs in tourism than can be covered by local staff.

(Bild: Dietmar Denger)