With the „Skifahr’n“ campaign, the state of Tyrol and the local cable car industry enable young Tyroleans up to the 13th grade to have affordable access to skiing days.
The school ski program is a comprehensive package for all Tyrolean school classes up to the 13th grade – including free or heavily discounted ski passes (Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce), subsidized travel to Tyrolean ski resorts (State of Tyrol), and significantly reduced rates for equipment rental (Sport 2000 rent). The "Skiing" program is jointly supported by the State of Tyrol, the Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce, and the Tyrolean Education Directorate. The program's success was evident in the previous season: a new record was set with 106,500 ski passes issued. In total, over 1,000 applications for bus transportation were submitted to the State of Tyrol, resulting in subsidies of approximately €327,000. Nearly €120,000 was also allocated for school ski trips.
Due to its great success, the State of Tyrol and its partners are continuing the campaign. Sixty Tyrolean ski resorts are participating. Governor Anton Mattle and Deputy Governor Philip Wohlgemuth, responsible for sports, are involved. They are convinced of the importance of skiing: „Every Tyrolean child should have the opportunity to ski and enjoy the experience of winter sports. With the Tyrolean School Ski Program, we enable school classes to enjoy an affordable skiing experience. Our thanks go to our partners, especially the cable car companies, without whom such an exemplary project would not be possible.“ Thanks to the Tyrolean School Ski Program, 46,800 children and young people, along with their teachers, enjoyed an affordable day of skiing last winter.
All locals should benefit from the high-quality skiing facilities.
The State of Tyrol, the Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce, and the Tyrolean Chamber of Labor have jointly appealed to the European Commission regarding local resident fares. EU Tourism Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas expressed openness to discounts for the local population during a visit to Tyrol in the autumn. During a subsequent visit to Brussels, Governor Mattle reiterated Tyrol's position on the matter. The obstacle is the so-called geoblocking regulation, which stipulates that services must not be subject to discriminatory requirements based on nationality or residence. Under these regulations, several cable car operators in Tyrol have already been prohibited from offering local resident fares.
Together with the Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce, the Governor of Tyrol has already raised the possibility of amending the geoblocking regulation at the European level. "The cable car industry is actively committed to offering fair prices. Even after the lawsuit filed by the Association for Consumer Information, the combined ticketing companies implemented a discounted solution through an advance sales period. This measure was well received this past winter. At the same time, the ball is now in the court of policymakers to create a long-term and legally sound solution that guarantees clarity at the European level. Together with the State of Tyrol, we are advocating for an amendment to the geoblocking regulation," said Klier, head of the specialist group at the Chamber of Commerce, who also pointed to existing partnerships that enable discounted tickets.