Austrian Advertising: Study On Young Skiers Shows Great Potential In The Core Market Of Germany

How big is the potential for young skiers in Austria's largest market of origin, Germany? What do children and young people in Germany need so that they can start skiing? What is important to them or their parents and what adjustments should the industry make so that people who have so far had few points of contact get excited about skiing? Austria Advertising investigated these questions as part of a study published yesterday. Conclusion: Despite difficult conditions, skiing enjoys an excellent reputation and the new potential for the future is high.

New potential for young skiers: 23 percent of all children and young people in Germany

The study consists of a quantitative and a qualitative survey part. As part of the quantitative part, 1,500 people in Germany were surveyed about skiing and ski holidays. The data shows that 23 percent of all children and young people in Germany (3.2 million people) are interested in skiing or want to ski in the future. “The high level of new potential among children and young people allows for an optimistic view of the future development of skiing in our most important home market. We are called upon to take the right steps to get people interested in skiing who currently have no contact with this wonderful sport,” says ÖW managing director Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger.

“Austria has been one of the most popular and successful winter sports destinations in the Alpine region for young and old for years. To ensure that it stays that way in the future, we need to further develop our range of offerings for sports in the snow and continue to convince our regular guests and family holidaymakers of our good price-performance ratio. We also need to increasingly appeal to new guests for Austria as a winter sports destination with innovative winter concepts. In addition to the potential among children and young people, it is therefore important to exploit the new potential among adult Germans (4.1 million) and thus further promote the sustainable positive development of snow-related sports," said Tourism State Secretary Susanne Kraus-Winkler.

Motivators for skiing: parents, school ski courses and relatives

As expected, parents play a key role in learning the sport: According to the survey, half of young skiers learn to ski from their parents, who in most cases also provide the impetus to start skiing in the first place. For around 30 percent of children and young people it is school or the school ski course. “Parents, teachers, grandparents and other relatives often lay the foundation for the enthusiasm for skiing. It therefore makes sense for the industry to address these people,” continues Steharnig-Staudinger.

Derivations for the industry: Take the inexperienced by the hand

“As part of the qualitative part of the study, we were able to delve deeper into the needs and thoughts of those surveyed – including those people who previously had no touchpoints about skiing. In order to activate the great potential, activities aimed at the inexperienced are necessary that clarify very fundamental questions. This includes, for example, information about the required equipment, clothing, travel or the organization of ski courses. Parents need a lot of information in advance in order to have planning security. It is therefore important for the industry to satisfy this need for information,” Steharnig-Staudinger continued.

The study shows that accommodation plays a special role. The accommodation should serve as a starting point for activities in the snow, but at the same time be a warming refuge; a one-stop shop that provides the necessary information through which ski equipment, ski tickets and ski courses can be organized. “For the industry, this means that exactly this need for smooth organization should be taken into account,” says Steharnig-Staudinger in conclusion.

About the study

In 2023, Austria Advertising conducted both quantitative research (survey of 1,500 people) and qualitative research (group discussions with parents, children and young people) on the topic of skiing and ski holidays in Germany.

Austria Advertising, as the client, is making the study available to local tourism free of charge. Austrian tourism experts can request the young skier study here >>>>