What does the future hold for skiing?

We explored this question in depth during a presentation by MMag. Günther Aigner, a renowned researcher in the field of ski tourism. As part of our in-house trade show “World of Sports,” we examined the following points together:

• There are currently 135 million skiers worldwide—more than ever before.
• In the future, skiing in Europe (as is already the case in America) will become a premium sport with dynamic pricing.
• Official Austrian climate scenarios currently project that, in the worst-case scenario, the snow line will shift upward by 200 meters by 2050. This means that 80% of today’s ski resorts will still have guaranteed snow in 2050.
• Due to climate change, summer tourism in the Alps will become significantly more important
• Austrian cable cars, ski lifts, and snow cannons consume approximately 270 GWh of electricity per year (99.9% of which is green electricity). This energy demand would correspond to emissions of approximately 9,000 metric tons of CO2. By comparison, according to the FAZ, U.S. star Taylor Swift alone had a carbon footprint of approximately 8,300 metric tons in the first half of 2022.
• Artificial snowmaking and slope grooming have no adverse impact on the flora and fauna of the ski areas.

Despite all the reports we hear in the media every day, Mr. Aigner’s conclusion gives us cause for optimism, as he noted in a conversation with Axel Obermayer, Head of Marketing at WINTERSTEIGER Sports GmbH: “We’ll still be skiing in 2050, but skiing as we know it today will definitely change.”

Just as optimistic as the conclusion of this panel discussion are the registration and visitor numbers for our in-house trade show. We’re already looking forward to the second round of events in April!