Study Shows 2013 Ski World Championships Gave Schladming Dachstein An Economic Boost

In the context of major sporting events, discussions flare up again and again about whether organizing such events is really worthwhile. A study presented today shows that the 2013 Alpine Ski World Championships marked the start of an enormously positive development for the Styrian tourist region of Schladming-Dachstein.

• Enormous increase in value creation in the Styrian tourism region since the major event
• The alpine ski event also resulted in a strong increase in overnight stays in summer
• The economic stimulus from tourism for the Schladming-Dachstein region has increased by 74 percent since the 2013 Ski World Championships.

The economic stimulus from tourism was 731 million euros at the time, today it is 1.27 billion euros. This corresponds to an increase of more than 70 percent. In addition, in the following years, for every euro invested from public funds in the Ski World Championships, almost twice as much revenue flowed back to the local authorities, at 1.95 euros.

"The 2013 Ski World Championships were a decisive driving force for the development of our region. Since then, the economic stimulus from tourism has increased incredibly," explained Andreas Keinprecht, Chairman of the Schladming-Dachstein tourism region, during the study presentation. "In the years surrounding the World Championships, tourism added value was around 350 million euros, today it is 592 million. In concrete terms, an additional annual added value of more than 240 million euros was generated for the Schladming-Dachstein region - a clear sign of the sustainable impact of this major event."

Study proves the added value of the Ski World Championships in clear numbers

According to official figures, the total investment in the Ski World Championships amounts to around 415.78 million euros, of which 247.75 million came from public funds. For the taxpayer, this investment has more than paid off. "Every euro that the public sector invested in the Ski World Championships brought 1.95 euros in additional income from tourism for the local authorities in the following years. The added value can therefore be clearly expressed in figures," emphasized study author Florian Schwillinsky from the Vienna Economixs Institute.

“ Turbo for the development of the region into a year-round destination”

Mathias Schattleitner, Managing Director of the Schladming-Dachstein Tourist Board, pointed out the enormous impact beyond ski tourism: "The 2013 Ski World Championships have proven to be a real boost for the development of our region - especially in terms of year-round tourism. Since the major event, which was perceived extremely positively around the world, we have been able to significantly increase the number of overnight stays in the summer months - by around 666,000. This shows that the World Championships have had a lasting impact far beyond winter sports. With more than 3.9 million overnight stays per year and a high status on international markets, we are now one of the five largest tourist destinations in Austria."

Tourism secures over 8,100 jobs in the region

The number of overnight stays by domestic and foreign guests per year has increased by around 38 percent since the Ski World Championships. In Schladming-Dachstein, this not only represents an important boost for the tourism industry, it also benefits the entire economy and thus the population. Tourism currently secures over 8,100 jobs in the region, 4,100 of which are directly in tourism businesses including cable cars and 4,000 jobs in downstream sectors such as trade, crafts and services. In addition, tourism in the Schladming-Dachstein region secures 7,300 jobs in Styria and 8,300 jobs throughout Austria through indirect and induced effects.

Georg Bliem, Managing Director of the Planai-Hochwurzen-Bahnen, explains the positive effects on his company: "The Ski World Championships not only brought international attention, but also laid the foundation for the implementation of numerous major projects that today distinguish Planai as a year-round leisure company. These include the 'Energy Crystal' on the Dachstein, the new Rohrmoos I gondola, the WEST winter sports center and the Schladming bike park. With investments of around 120 million euros since 2015, we are consistently driving forward modernization and further development and are also setting strong accents at major events such as the annual ski opening. In addition, with around 410 employees in winter, 330 of whom work all year round, Planai is one of the largest employers in the region."

The fact sheet for the value creation study “Effects of the 2013 Ski World Championships on the Schladming-Dachstein tourism region” with all figures in detail for download here