VITALPIN Says “Skiing Is Trendy”
After the first onset of winter in the Alps and the opening of some glacier ski areas, VITALPIN asked experts and captured the mood on social networks.
Fantastic pictures from Tyrol, South Tyrol and Switzerland are already making skiers' hearts beat faster! After the snowfall around two weeks ago, the conditions on the glaciers are perfect. The Hintertux and Stubai glaciers as well as the Sölden glacier ski area have already opened, and the Pitztal (28.9.) and Kaunertal glaciers (3.10.) will soon follow suit. In South Tyrol, the conditions are good and people are currently skiing in the Schnals Ski Arena and on the Stilfser Joch. The first lifts have also already opened in Switzerland. The desire to ski is great in the Alpine region.
On social networks, the images and information that the start of the season has taken place or is imminent have created almost exclusively positive sentiments, both among locals who have been eagerly awaiting it and among holidaymakers who will soon be spending their skiing holidays in the Alps.
"The positive mood in social networks towards alpine skiing is of course very encouraging, but you have to remember that it is mainly ski fans who follow the channels. That is why VITALPIN asked experts what the current situation is with skiing," says VITALPIN Managing Director Manuel Lutz.
Thomas Aichner, Marketing Director of Salewa (European market leader for alpine clothing) , refutes the rumor that alpine skiing is increasingly becoming a niche sport, using current figures. An exchange of experiences within the EOG (European Outdoor Group) and sales in the Oberalp Group's own brands Dynafit (ski touring) and Fischer (piste skiing) show that the piste skiing sector is currently selling very well, while the touring skiing category is stagnating.
"Alpine skiing is trendy and the popularity of the sport continues to grow. This trend is not only demonstrated by the access data to the ski resorts in the past winter season, but also by the sales figures of the ski manufacturers. Both ski equipment and ski clothing were in high demand last winter and the orders from retailers for the upcoming winter were correspondingly good," says Thomas Aichner.
The international Doppelmayr Group, headquartered in Wolfurt/Vorarlberg, also recorded an increase in sales of almost 12 percent in the 2023/24 financial year, not least thanks to numerous customer orders, particularly in ski resorts in Europe and North America. Winter business has increased disproportionately for the Doppelmayr Group.
In Austria, the Doppelmayr teams have implemented impressive large-scale projects with their customers, including the AURO Komperdellbahn gondola lift in Serfaus/Tyrol, which is characterized by its autonomous operation. Several prestige projects are currently under construction, including the Schilthornbahn 20XX and the first TRI-Line system in HochYbrig, both in Switzerland.
Ski tourism researcher Günther Aigner also underlines the popularity of skiing. There are currently 135 million skiers worldwide - more than ever before in the history of mankind. Aigner made this statement together with the Swiss researcher Laurent Vanat. With more than 50 million first-time skiers, Austria is the ski tourism world champion, together with the USA and France.
The fact that the first snow is now being used as a basis to maintain the snow cover is not only important for skiers, but also for nature. The snow that is applied to the glacier also protects it. Experience from recent years has also shown that a cold period is typically to be expected in September and October before it becomes very mild again in the run-up to Christmas, the Tyrol Snow Center reported to Vitalpin. Snowmaking during this time is therefore much more efficient thanks to the cold temperatures. Waiting would not be ideal from a resource efficiency perspective.
"VITALPIN wants to use information like this to provide information and protect against false information that leads to dubious debates. Through our network, we have been able to gather fact-based information. It shows that there is a great desire to ski in this country and that, from today's perspective, the conditions for the upcoming winter could not be better for people and nature," says Lutz.
