Pop-Up Gondola Tour Through Europe: Looking Forward To Winter Holidays In Austria
Austrian Tourist Board, SalzburgerLand Tourism, Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn and Salzburg Airport underline Austria's leading position as a top winter sports destination
International Stage for Austria's Winter
The 2024/25 winter potential study by the Austrian Tourist Board and the NIT Kiel showed promising prospects for the winter season: A total of 17 million people planned a winter holiday in Austria. In nine out of ten markets examined, Austria is one of the top two winter sports destinations. A trend that has proven itself: According to current data from Statistics Austria, Austria started the current winter season in November with 5.5 million overnight stays (+6.7%) and 2.2 million arrivals (+7.9%).
The gondola, designed in a rustic mountain hut style, stopped in Neuss, Bochum, Utrecht, Warsaw and Copenhagen. Visitors could use the "Unlock Austria" quiz to find out their perfect winter holiday type, win World Cup tickets and learn more about sustainable travel options. A final city trip took the gondola to the Gloriette in Vienna this week before heading to Saalbach in time for the start of the Ski World Championships.
There it will be available in the fan zone as a unique backdrop for photos and will serve as a symbol for Austria as a winter sports country.
Celebrating Winter Together
"The Ski World Championships in Saalbach are the perfect stage to celebrate winter sports in Austria. With the gondola experience, we have aroused anticipation and shown how diverse our winter is," explains Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger, CEO of Austrian Tourist Board. Leo Bauernberger, Managing Director of SalzburgerLand Tourism, also emphasises: "The gondola was a unique ambassador of our hospitality and aroused enthusiasm for the event and the Austrian winter." Wolfgang Breitfuß, Tourism Director of Saalbach Hinterglemm, is delighted: "With this campaign, we have given a foretaste of the great experiences that our region has to offer."
The neighboring Tyrol is also enthusiastic. "The cross-regional cooperation between Salzburg and Tyrol as part of the 'Home of Snow' in Saalbach during the Ski World Championships and the joint promotion by the partners underlines that the enthusiasm for winter sports and winter holidays knows no bounds and is a common concern for everyone," says Tirol Werbung Managing Director Karin Seiler, welcoming the initiative. And Thomas Köhle, Managing Director of TVB Paznaun-Ischgl, adds: "The pop-up gondola is a unique initiative that perfectly conveys the liveliness and diversity of the Austrian winter."
