Hinterstoder - Wurzeralm Look Back On Positive Season
Despite a winter season that has not been easy for the local ski areas, the balance of Hinterstoder-Wurzeralm Bergbahnen AG is quite positive. The development of the Skierdays shows a positive development - despite the difficult weather conditions, an increase of 15% was recorded compared to the previous year. The cable car systems in Hinterstoder will be in operation until April 7th, and on the Wurzeralm until April 1st, 2024.
December 2023 began with great natural snow conditions, which ultimately formed the basis for a solid season to date. At least from an altitude of around 1,000m.
Both Hinterstoder and the Wurzeralm were able to ensure valley runs until March 11th, even though new snow has been waiting for a long time.
Skiing fun is still possible until the beginning of April
“Professional snow management is an absolute must in seasons with less natural snow – which happens all the time,” says Helmut Holzinger, board member of HIWU Bergbahnen. “Our team did the essential preparatory work to create a solid surface in the first two snowy weeks at the start of the season. And that’s what makes or breaks an entire winter season, especially if Mrs. Holle skips it,” Holzinger continued.
The forecast dates for the end of the season can be kept and nothing stands in the way of a nice end to the season with one or two stops during the Easter holidays.
In summary, Helmut Holzinger explains: “It was not an easy season, especially when it came to the spring-like temperatures in March, but thanks to perfect cooperation between the piste team, we managed to ensure the best conditions until the end of the season.”
Positive guest development in Hinterstoder and on the Wurzeralm
When it comes to the number of guests, the two ski areas can report positive results this season. The extensive range of events also made an important contribution to the overall result. Events such as the Gourmet Summit, Grill&Chill, winter hiking or the Flirt Karussell are increasingly becoming important pillars of the season. They were well attended again this season.
“We have seen a 15% increase in Skierdays compared to the previous year, which makes us very happy. The joy of skiing continues unabated, both for day guests and those staying for multiple days. If you look at the development of guest flows, you can see a large increase in guests from the Bavarian area and the Czech Republic,” says Helmut Holzinger. This development is certainly also related to the positive bed development in the Pyhrn Priel region. Since many ski areas in the Czech Republic and Germany in the area near the border with Upper Austria had to struggle with snow problems, many winter sports fans found their way to Hinterstoder or to the Wurzeralm. There was also a clearly positive development in season tickets, including the premium product SuperSkiCard.
Unbroken enjoyment of skiing
A study by the market research company manova shows that skiing is very important to guests. When asked about the motivation of what is important to people in their free time, many answer with fun, joy and spending time with family and friends. Apparently skiing succeeds better than other sports in promoting a shared experience - even at different skill levels. If you look at all the ski guests in recent winters, you can see that the number of families with children has increased significantly.
This is proven by an analysis of guest cards, which shows a clear upward trend in children's and youth cards. More than every fourth day of skiing in Austria is for a child or youth ticket! And the surveys of guests on Austria's slopes (over 70,000 respondents last winter) also show an increase in families with children. This also confirms the industry's efforts to get young people skiing. “We, the cable car operators together with the state of Upper Austria, are committed to school ski courses, which are in high demand, just as we support local ski clubs,” says Helmut Holzinger, board member of Hinterstoder-Wurzeralm Bergbahnen AG.
