Franz Horl Hands Tyrol Lift Assoc' Leadership To Reinhard Klier

Future topics and a generational change at the top dominated this year's Tyrolean Cable Car Day. The industry is investing massively in climate protection measures. The new chairman calls for the debate to be made more objective.

On the Tyrolean Cable Car Day on October 9, 2023, keynote speeches such as “Energy procurement and energy production in the cable car sector” and “Summer cable cars - from stepchild to model student” not only dealt with important future topics, but there was also a generational change in leadership. The long-standing specialist group chairman of the Tyrolean cable car industry, Franz Hörl, handed over to 43-year-old Reinhard Klier, board member of Wintersport Tirol AG. The company with a total of 600 employees operates the Stubaier Gletscherbahn and is active in the sporting goods trade (Intersport Okay and Sport Okay.com).

15 years of chairman Franz Hörl

During the handover, Franz Hörl's services to the industry were recognized. For 15 years he led the affairs of the specialist group in Tyrol and worked tirelessly for the interests of the cable cars. “New laws, regulations, standards and protocols are regularly developed, which are sometimes far removed from the practice of cable car matters. Some of these regulations make it difficult or almost impossible for us to work. In these cases, tough negotiations and a lot of persuasion are necessary in order to capture the experts' obsession with regulations and lack of practical experience. “Franz Hörl has regularly contributed intensively, endured media blows and achieved many improvements for our industry,” explained Reinhard Klier.

Factual and fact-based discussion

In his inaugural speech, Reinhard Klier gave an outlook on the challenges and goals of the Tyrolean cable car industry. The new chairman emphasized the economic importance of the cable car industry in Tyrol with almost 5,000 direct employees and 50,000 employees in tourism. The cable car and tourism industry represents a significant economic factor, especially in many rural regions. Nevertheless, the cable car industry has been confronted with severe and sometimes unobjective criticism in recent years. “The industry is small-structured and has strong regional roots. There are no resorts owned by corporations in Tyrol. The profits are largely reinvested,” emphasized Klier. “The challenges of today are too serious to be used for a polemical debate. I think we're doing well “to demand an objective and fact-based discussion,” explained the new chairman. The industry takes climate change very seriously, but demands an honest and objective approach to facts and study results. Using current examples, Reinhard Klier showed that this is not always the case in the public debate.

Climate protection measures

The cable car industry is committed to making a contribution to positively influencing development. Reinhard Klier pointed out that the Tyrolean cable cars obtain electricity exclusively from renewable energy sources, which means that the operation of the cable cars and snowmaking systems is almost CO2-neutral. When it comes to water, a natural circulation system is also created by collecting snowmelt in reservoirs. Klier also corrected the consideration of glacier skiing: There are 320 glaciers in Tyrol. Twelve of them are partially developed. “Unfortunately, everyone is going back and the only way to protect them is to take action against climate change. In a completely misguided discussion, the 308 undeveloped glaciers are ignored and the focus is on the twelve partially managed ones,

Greening the journey

A major task for the cable cars, but also all other industries, is the greening of the journey. “If you want to have an honest discussion about CO2 reduction in tourism, then the distance and type of journey are the decisive factors. It doesn't matter whether you're on a skiing holiday, a beach holiday, a cultural trip or going to a conference. Our task is to offer attractive CO2-reduced travel options in order to achieve a change in mobility behavior,” emphasized Klier. The industry is once again leading the way with free ski bus offers and ÖBB cooperations. “We can be happy that, unlike many beach destinations, we can offer a CO2-reduced journey.

Balanced balance

The new Tyrolean cable car chairman is convinced that winter sports will have a future in the coming decades. In addition, the summer cable car offerings are continually being expanded. Here too, Reinhard Klier called for the debate to be made more objective, because: “I have the impression that those who are most worried about Tyrolean tourism are those who wish for a decline more than fear it.” The future does not lie for the new chairman not in a polemical debate, but in a joint effort to find sustainable solutions. “I am convinced that a good balance between natural, living and economic areas is possible in Tyrol,” emphasized Reinhard Klier in conclusion, “we cable car workers will continue to accept our responsibility and make our contribution to it.”