International Ski Area Test - 27th Award Ceremony Held
The Skiareatest team, headed by Klaus Hönigsberger, was out and about in the Alpine region during this somewhat difficult winter season to test and evaluate the participating ski areas according to the proven and comprehensive Skiareatest categories. Clear the stage for the "best of the best": On June 10th, the results were announced in Gstaad, in the Swiss canton of Bern. The award ceremony for the winners of the 2021/22 winter season took place with 250 guests in the uniquely beautiful ambience of the Eggli mountain restaurant. Numerous visitors from the cable car and tourism industry, specialist group manager of the WKO Styria Mag. Oliver Käfer and former councilor Leo Jeker as well as Olympic champion and world champion Fritz Strobl accepted the invitation from Skiareatest President Klaus Hönigsberger and followed the 27th with excitement.
And the following winners were able to look forward to a coveted award from the international ski area test:
KitzSki - the premium ski area has once again been able to win the overall ski area test: "Ski area test winner 2022 nine times gold". The "International Piste Seal of Approval Triple Gold" was awarded for a further three years and the "Safety Trophy Gold" also went to KitzSki - snow sports enthusiasts will find perfectly groomed pistes in the ski area, with all the necessary safety standards. Other awards such as the “Pistenfahrertrophy Doppelgold”, “Freundstes Kassenteam Gold” and “Pistenhelden – die macher der Streif Gold” also went to the successful cable car company.
The Panoramabahn in the Kitzbüheler Alpen was also voted the “2022 Gold Ski Area Test Winner” and also received the “Triple Gold International Piste Quality Seal”. The awards “Friendliest Railway Staff Gold” and “Friendliest Cash Desk Team Gold” also went to the Panoramabahn. Sonja Hochstaffl was honored as the “friendliest employee/cash desk”.
In Switzerland, the Pizolbahnen AG, in Bad Ragaz, was able to achieve the overall victory "Skiareatestsieger Schweiz Gold". The "Gold snowmaking trophy" was also awarded for three years and the "friendliest railway staff" - always hard-working, friendly and motivated - was rewarded with an award. Furthermore, the cable car company was pleased to receive the "Best Children's Offer Gold" as well as the "International Piste Seal of Approval Double Gold" and "International Toboggan Run Seal of Approval". Klaus Nussbaumer received the award as "Cable Car Operator of the Year 2022" and Ralph Schneider secured the "Slope Ladder Trophy".
The coveted “Adventure & Family Mountain Gold” award was shared by the Dachstein West, Reiteralm and Wildkogel Arena mountain railways. Ideal ski areas for the whole family with snow-reliable, family-friendly pistes and a unique high-alpine panorama. The Dachstein West mountain railways also received the "Children's Land Trophy" and "Gold Snowmaking Trophy" awards. The offer for ski tourers in Rußbach is considered to be touring heaven and was awarded the “International Ski Touring Seal of Approval Double Gold”. The pistes in the ski area have been awarded the "International Piste Quality Seal Double Gold". Sebastian "Wastl" Schwarzenbacher and Ernst Urstöger were happy about the "Operations Manager Trophy" and authorized signatory Bettina Plank was awarded the "Marketing Trophy Double Gold".
The awards "Safety Trophy Gold", "Ideas & Implementation Gold" and "Snowmaking Trophy Double Gold" went to the Reiteralm Bergbahnen. The "International Piste Seal of Quality Fivefold Gold" was again awarded to the cable car company. Managing Director Daniel Berchthaller took home the “Best Cable Car Management” award.
For its 14 km long natural toboggan run - the longest illuminated toboggan run in the world - the Wildkogel Arena was able to secure the "International Toboggan Run Seal of Approval Double Gold" and the perfectly groomed ski slopes were also awarded the "International Slope Seal of Approval Triple Gold" and the "Gold Snowmaking Trophy". The family-friendly ski area in the Hohe Tauern National Park also received the “Sustainable Ski Area Management” award, “Friendliest Railway Personnel Gold” as well as the “Marketing Trophy” and the “Safety Trophy”.
The Swiss Schilthorn AG can now call itself "Adventure & Family Mountain 2022 Gold". The cable car company from Stechelberg also received the "International Piste Quality Seal Gold" for the next three years, the "Marketing Trophy Double Gold" and the "Safety Trophy". The Schilthorn AG also secured the awards "Best children's offer" and "Friendliest checkout team gold". Christoph Egger, director of the Schilthornbahn AG, received the "Best Cable Car Management" award and the "Slope Ladder Trophy" went to Peter Bühler. The 360° - Restaurant Piz Gloria is the "Most Popular Mountain Restaurant Gold" - In just 45 minutes, the restaurant rotates on its own axis and allows guests a spectacular view of the mountain panorama around the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
The "climber of the year 2022" can be found in Styria: The Murtal cable cars/Kreischberg were named "Family Ski Area 2022 Gold" and also received the "International Piste Quality Seal Triple Gold" and the award "Friendliest Cashier Team Gold". The new panorama restaurant "The Eagle" is the "Most Popular Mountain Restaurant Gold" and was also awarded the "Architecture Trophy 2022 Gold" together with Bernhard Viereck, the architect of the project. The "Best Event 2022 Gold" was the "Screamer" - the longest giant slalom in the world. Over 500 participants mastered the route of 6.7 kilometers and 1,250 meters in altitude with around 220 gates.
The managing directors Mag. Karl Fussi and Reinhard Kargl shared the coveted award "Cable Car Operator of the Year 2022" and Monika Autischer is the "Friendliest Employee/Cash Register". The Lachtal lifts and cable cars are also located in the Murtal and were able to secure the award for the "Best children's offer" for the children's Lachtal plus "Wildes Lachtal" as well as the "International Piste Seal of Approval" and "International Toboggan Run Seal of Approval". In addition, they received the "Piste Driver Trophy Gold" and the "Snowmaking Trophy Gold" and operations manager Franz Galler was awarded the "Operations Manager Trophy".
According to the anonymous testers of the international ski area test, the Bumbach-Schangnau ski lift has the "friendliest lift staff" and also received the "piste driver trophy". Hans Feuz, father of the Olympic champion Beat Feuz, was allowed to take the "Operations Manager Trophy" home with him.
You can enjoy relaxing holidays in the Alpinlodge Sonnalm. In the "Most popular Alpenhotel Triplegold" you will also find the "friendliest staff" and you can explore the world's best ski area.
The Moosalp restaurant was voted “Most Popular Restaurant Gold” in Switzerland and now has Amédée Kalbermatten as “Chef of the Year 2022”. The members of Air Zermatt were delighted with the "Gold Rescue Trophy". CEO Gerold Biner was awarded the "Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award".
The special award "Honorary Lifetime Achievement" was presented to Olympic and World Champion Fritz Strobl. Captain Daniela Neuhauser received the "Ideas and Implementation Double Gold" award and the "Lifetime Achievement Trophy" for her special commitment to tourism and Tyrolean shipping. Erich Megert, founder of SISAG AG, was also delighted to receive the "Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award".
At this year's winter awards, Bergbahnen Sörenberg received the awards for summer 2021 in the following categories "Climber of the Year 2021", "Nature & Sustainability", "Best Children's Offer" and the "Covid-19 Safety Trophy".
It was an all-round successful event with the team from the international ski area test and Bergbahn Destination Gstaad. The guests and award winners were offered something unique at the Eggli in Gstaad. The cable car and tourism family was spoiled with the finest culinary delights in the new mountain restaurant and in the Gstaad Gourmet Truck "Raclette from the Gstaader Käsemachern" - surrounded by the Gstaad Alphorn Group and the Saanenland Trio. Of course, special thanks also go to the partners and sponsors.
Bergbahnen Destination Gstaad AG is one of the largest mountain railway companies in the Bernese Oberland. 350 employees in winter and 130 employees in summer ensure that all summer and winter activities on the mountain run smoothly every day. The company operates and maintains 34 transport systems, around 160 kilometers of slopes and 5 of its own mountain houses. On their sun terraces, visitors from all over the world enjoy wonderful views of the Gstaad peaks. The Eggli mountain restaurant and the Eggli Lounge reopened in 2020 and 2021 after extensive renovations. They are equally popular with locals and guests, skiers and connoisseurs and complement each other with attractive gastronomic offers.
The International Ski Area Test is an anonymous quality check with comprehensive test criteria. More than 220 experienced Skiareatest members from a wide variety of professions and nationalities collect anonymous impressions and evaluate the participating ski resorts with know-how, objectivity, seriousness and experience. The international ski area test has meanwhile developed into a premium brand and is used for the constant further development of quality, safety and the offers in alpine tourism. The renowned, recognized quality check has been on the road in over 50 ski and tourism destinations so far.
