There are also many small, inexpensive ski resorts in Austria that are particularly suitable for families and beginners.
THE DESCUSSION about ticket prices, which have risen noticeably again this year, remains controversial: In view of the general increase in prices in all areas of life, the question arises as to whether skiing has finally become a luxury sport and unaffordable for many people? Nevertheless: Despite high prices, skiing holidays are still a fixture for many Austrians. This is also thanks to small and affordable ski areas that specialize in families. But the large ski associations also increasingly have special offers in their programs. Nothing should stand in the way of a successful ski holiday with the family. The lifts in the more than 200 Austrian ski areas are generally top-notch anyway. And the surrounding facilities, from cross-country ski runs and winter hiking trails to hotels and huts, are also impressive. Especially in international comparison.
WIDE RANGE"In Austria, there is something for every budget - and it is the overall package of price and performance as well as comfort and cuisine that makes our ski areas so attractive and popular," says former tourism chairwoman Petra Nocker-Schwarzenbacher. The Salzburg hotelier - herself an enthusiastic skier and ski tourer - never tires of promoting the advantages of the local winter offer: "In addition to skiing, wellness and relaxation as well as activities such as winter hiking, tobogganing, ice or cross-country skiing are playing an increasingly important role, and there is a wide and high-quality range of products here too." This is also the view of the Austrian Tourist Board: despite the current economically challenging situation and global travel opportunities, people are longing for activities in the snow and in the mountains. And Austria not only has the right offer for every budget, it is also the diverse activities off the slopes - keyword relaxation in the snow - that make a winter holiday with us so special.
That is why this year they are increasingly targeting guests who are interested in all activities away from the slopes, says ÖW boss Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger. She speaks of "quality time, Austrian style" and what is still a "very good price-performance ratio": "When it comes to winter sports, Austria is clearly number one, and that is what we are known for and valued for."
Holidaymakers, on the other hand, find a wide range of options in Austria - "from 'low budget' to luxury ski resorts," says State Secretary for Tourism Susanne Kraus-Winkler. Accommodation is also available in all price categories, from private rooms to four- and five-star hotels. Austria also has the image "that we can always offer snow security." According to Franz Hörl, chairman of the cable car association, guests can expect a snow guarantee, as much snow as possible and
good condition of the slopes and the size of the ski area are the most important. However, this differs depending on the target group: for some, size is important because of the variety and choice, while for families, smaller, more manageable ski areas are becoming increasingly popular. Quality is the decisive feature of the local cable car landscape - "from the inexpensive segment of small ski areas to the internationally known top spots," says Hörl. Given the very high standard of offer, skiing in Austria is still cheap compared to European and global competitors: "You also have to consider the comfort that the Austrian cable cars offer." Christoph Eisinger, head of the largest Austrian ski association, Ski amadé, with 760 kilometers, also says that "the price of skiing is justified in view of the value for a special experience." Guests still get a lot for their money, great slopes and rustic, not overpriced huts. Nevertheless, on average, the cost of a ski vacation has risen above the rate of inflation over the past three decades. “While household incomes have doubled in the three decades, lift prices in upscale ski resorts have increased by two and a half times
- and hotel prices even more so," says tourism researcher Peter Zellmann: "Winter holidays have never been a cheap pleasure. The top third of the population has always gone on ski holidays. They don't care about the price because they can afford it."
MANY INITIATIVESDespite rising prices, skiing and winter holidays remain a fixed point for many Austrians – and that is no coincidence: whether large or small – the ski areas have come up with more and more ideas in recent years to remain attractive: This starts with ever larger ticket associations and area mergers that want to succeed with gigantomania, and goes all the way to special offers such as early bird skiing or yoga in the snow, for example in Gastein. Differentiation and variety of offers are
announced - always with the threat of price pressure from critics breathing down their necks. "For many people, skiing is a way to relax from everyday life, which is why guests' enjoyment of winter sports should not be spoiled," stresses Ski amadé boss Eisinger. A lot is being done "so that families can afford to ski": for example, through the Ski amadé Friends Club, which offers many discounts, a loyalty bonus for regular guests, the Junior Weekend Bonus, where children up to 15 years of age ski for 25 euros at the weekend and young people ski for 37.50 euros per day, or the Easter family promotion. Children up to 15 years of age ski for free if at least one parent buys a 6-day ski pass. And there is also a family bonus, where the third child or all others ski for free.
In the Pitztal, on the other hand, there is a young family ski pass, which costs from 174 euros for a 3-day ski pass or from 305 euros for a 6-day ski pass, depending on the season. And families staying in the Pitztal can also take advantage of the offer of free children's ski courses for children under 6 on selected dates. In the Karwendel Silver Region, children between the ages of four and twelve receive a free ski course for bookings of seven nights or more, and there is a similar offer for returning skiers aged 50 and over. Some areas offer special ladies' weeks; others, such as Nassfeld in Carinthia, offer 4=3 offers. Most have special weekly offers for certain times outside of holiday periods. For example, in the Bregenzerwald, a four-day ski course and lift passes for six days are included in the price of the overnight stay for children between the ages of three and six in two weeks in March. This requires a seven-night stay accompanied by at least one adult. And in the Tyrolean, East Tyrolean and Carinthian Ski Hit areas of the Schultz Group, children up to six years of age ski for free, and kids and teens between six and 18 years of age get a 50 percent discount. And in the flagship ski area of Kitzbühel, the practice lifts Mocking, Rasmusleiten and Ministreif are free, as are some practice lifts in Kirchberg, Aschau, Reith and Jochberg.
THE SMALL SKI AREAS can generally boast fewer kilometres of slopes; they score points with cheaper rates, which have often only been increased slightly or not at all this year. The small ones are also easier to manage, and the children can go out alone with a clear conscience - without the parents having to worry about the offspring getting lost. Many small ones like the Heidi-Alm on the Falkert in Carinthia have deliberately focused on families: "Large ski areas are often really expensive - and we want to counteract that," says Lukas Köfer, hotelier and cable car owner on the Falkert. In the area with the mascot Heidi, there are only eleven kilometres of slopes, but plenty of child-friendly snow activities including ski courses, cross-country skiing, ice skating, tobogganing and winter hiking. This also applies to Kirchbach in Lower Austria, a very small ski area in the Waldviertel, which also focuses on the "niche" of families with children. "With us, families can spend a very relaxed day in the snow. The little ones learn to ski and the parents can always keep an eye on them from the terrace. The
The parking lot is right next to the lift; everything is very manageable," says marketing manager Franz Jahn. Snowmaking, cross-country ski trails and opportunities for snowshoeing are also available. The prices are reasonable and the offer is very well received.
In the Styrian Lobmingtal, it is not just the locals who frequent the very small Kleinlobming ski area. Families come from as far away as Graz to enjoy the fun in the snow. "It is ideal for children and the prices are cheaper than in larger areas," says marketing manager Thomas Lang. Here, too, you can take a ski course, go night skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoe hiking or do laps on the ice rink right next to the ski lift. Even tour operators such as Eurotours (Hofer
Reisen or Justaway) have now jumped on the family trend with special offers and the demand for inexpensive offers
is unbroken, so the argument goes. The Brunnalm - Hohe Veitsch in Upper Styria also takes an interesting approach in this regard. The scenically attractive ski area with twelve kilometers of slopes offers a 20 percent discount on ticket prices from Monday to Wednesday outside of the holidays. Although the drag lifts are not in operation on these days, around 80 percent of the ski area can still be accessed with the 4-seater chairlift.
CONCLUSION: Almost every ski area has discounts and special offers. Before booking your holiday, you should check with your local tourist office or online to find out which ones are available where and when. Thanks to the numerous online platforms, prices are now completely transparent. Another thing to keep in mind: small areas often only have drag lifts or at most chair lifts, but they are generally less crowded than the large ski areas.