Carinthia: The State's Winter Sports Initiative And The Carinthian Family Card Make Affordable Winter Sports Possible

According to studies, children and young people do not move enough, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic. According to Kaiser, this is particularly evident in winter sports: “In 2018, 62 percent of Austrians said they never skied or snowboarded. Reasons are the end of compulsory ski courses in compulsory schools, but also the wave of inflation prevents many from practicing winter sports.” This is doubly regrettable, because “every sporting activity has a positive effect on physical and mental health and at the same time promotes a sense of community”.

It must be possible to spend leisure time in a variety of ways and above all in an affordable way – especially in times of rising prices. “With the winter sports initiative of the Carinthian Sport Coordination and the Carinthian family card, the state of Carinthia extensively supports the leisure activities of schoolchildren and families in Carinthia. This is another step towards making Carinthia the most child- and family-friendly region in Europe," said the sports and education officer, Governor Peter Kaiser, and the State Councilor for Families, Sara Schaar, on the occasion of the presentation of corresponding services in winter 2022/23.

The state of Carinthia is therefore taking countermeasures as part of the winter sports initiative in schools - with offers such as state youth and district youth ski days, the Carinthian ski safety days, free cross-country skiing days and snowshoe hikes for compulsory schools or the "experience day in the snow", a free ski day for elementary school students in the 3rd and 4th classes. In addition, the state of Carinthia provides compulsory school children with free skiing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing equipment. "The schools will be informed separately about all these offers," says Kaiser.

For the around 66,000 owners of the free Carinthian family card, the free winter voucher booklet is now being published for the second time with the support of the Carinthia Sports Coordination. “Last year, this was applied for around 23,000 times and this year it also includes many discounts and (free) promotions. The saving per booklet is over 300 euros, and up to five voucher books can be ordered per person," reports Sara Schaar, State Councilor for Families.

The winter voucher booklet of the Carinthian Family Card offers discounted ski day tickets for adults, children and young people in the Goldeck, Hochrindl, Petzen, Koralpe, Bodental and Grebenzen ski areas as well as discounts for children's ski courses at 13 ski clubs and twelve ski schools in Carinthia. The following free offers are also included: snowboard courses, cross-country skiing courses, tobogganing for the whole family or snowshoe hikes. Schaar: "Thanks to the financial support of the Carinthia Sport Coordination, there is a great new offer in the booklet: In cooperation with the Wörthersee Ice Skating Club, the winter voucher booklet enables children to skate free of charge on the Rauschelesee, Hörzendorfer See and Längsee. So we hope for the best skating conditions.”

Gigasport is also on board again and offers vouchers for the purchase of ski helmets and ski safety equipment as well as discounts on ski or snowboard service and on sporting goods. Alfred Janz, deputy branch manager of Gigasport Klagenfurt, says: "We also want to get children and young people into sports, want to encourage them to do winter sports - and we do it with the greatest possible safety. This is why we are a partner in the winter voucher booklet for the second time.”

The winter voucher booklet also includes vouchers for matches at Austria Klagenfurt, the Aqualux thermal baths and much more. "The winter voucher booklet is only available digitally, the vouchers are conveniently sent to your smartphone - then you always have them with you," explains Schaar.

The family consultant reveals another offer of the Carinthian family card: “This winter there are four free family ski days. Holders of the family card do not pay a lift ticket on these days, free snowshoe hikes are also possible - and Gigasport provides skis for testing." The four dates: Katschberg (January 15, 2023), Simonhöhe (January 22, 2023), Hochrindl ( January 29, 2023) and Goldeck (February 5, 2023).

"It is particularly important to us that sports and varied leisure activities are not a question of financial means, but are possible for everyone - especially for children and young people," say Kaiser and Schaar.

Information on the offers for schools: www.wintersportoffensive.at

More about the winter voucher booklet and support for families: www.kaerntnerfamilienkarte.at and www.winterspassinkaernten.at