Bright times are here for skiing enthusiasts. The season for winter sports is here, and many travelers head for the Alps. With that in mind, EuropeZigZag.com takes the opportunity to check out howski tourism is fairing in and around the mountain range, both north and south of the Alps.
Alta Badia in the Italian Dolomites
The Alta Badia Tourism Cooperative has Italy as its main market, closely followed by Germany. In later years the collaboration of Dolomiti Superski and the Ikon Pass also increased the number of US tourists who came to the Italian Dolomites. I got the chance to speak with Roberto Huber, the director at Alta Badia and he describes the region more in detail. “Dolomiti Superski offers skiers over 1,200 km of slopes across 12 different ski areas. This ensures a very high variety of offerings, with a proposal capable of meeting the needs of various guest segments, all under the common denominator of quality. For example, Alta Badia focuses on a “slow” skiing style, connected to gastronomy and pleasure, while other areas of the Dolomiti Superski offer different concepts of winter holidays. I believe this variety, and the associated quality is the reason why a large number of guests choose our destination.” He also mentions how the Italian Dolomites have gained an impressive reputation in northern Europe, where the BeNeLux is one main market that is still growing both in the summer and winter seasons.
A ski pass that showed a 30% growth compared to the 2023-24 season
As often is the case, the recipe for success in the world of tourism is rarely due to one factor. The Ikon Pass has brought change and the change in 2024 compared to the previous season is significant. More information is shared with me from Diego Clara who is a PR representative at Dolomiti Superski. “At this moment of the 2024-25 Winter season, we count already 12,350 Ikon Pass Customers – that means an increase of 30% compared to the 2023-24 winter season. It looks like joining Ikon Pass was a great chance for Dolomiti Superski to conquer the hearts of North American skiers.” The Ikon Pass has then definitely been a success for Alta Badia.
Turning our attention to Innsbruck in the Austrian Alps
I get the opportunity to speak with Innsbruck Tourismus about this year’s ski season in the Tyrol mountains. The winter season in Tyrol begins in November and ends in April, so in the Austrian Tyrol, they are now in the middle of the ski season. The largest ski resorts are consistently Kühtai, Patscherkofel, and Mutterer Alm.
The beginning of winter season in Austria showed a 15% increase in overnight statistics
I also wonder how ski tourism is fairing in the Tyrol mountains this season. He mentions that the overnight statistics show a 15% increase compared to November 23. Most of the foreign tourists who come to ski around Innsbruck are from Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and the USA. This does not come as a surprise, with the location so central in Europe and the high accessibility from countries.
According to Mr. Andreas Reiter, Head of Market at Innsbruck Tourismus, the most important markets for the winter season usually are Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, UK and USA. Furthermore, traditionally, CEE also plays an important role.”
The growth year on year showed that November 2024 compared to November 2022 had a 27% increase in overnight stays. This year Rangger Köpfl introduced a new section of the existing cable car which has proven more popular both among locals and tourists. The growth in tourism numbers is showing a strong trend for the Tyrol mountains.
Mr. Reiter also shares some exciting news for skiers going to Innsbruck this year. “Rangger Köpfl has a new section of its cable car and became more popular among locals and tourists for skiing and tobogganing.” In terms of numbers, the ski resorts that stand out for the overnight stays are Kühtai, Patscherkofel and Mutterer Alm, of which the two latter are very popular among families.
Skiing is still a great vacation activity in the winter months
All things considered, the Alps are welcoming skiers in large numbers and we are set for another fabulous winter season on the slopes. Marketing efforts are showing results, in some cases remarkable results. With that in mind, both Austria and Italy are winners across the Alps during ski season. Now is the time to go and enjoy the Alps, whether in Austria or Italy.
Paul-Christian Markovski, for EuropeZigZag.com
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