 Poster: A snowHead
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Despite the historically warm winter, the Austrian winter tourist season has been a great success so far.
With 9.5 million arrivals and 32 million overnight stays from November 2023 to January this year, the figures from the tourism sector are surprising and promising.
Possible record
State Secretary for Tourism Susanne Kraus-Winkler (ÖVP) said this week said "We are doing very, very well Austria seems to be on its way to the record level from 2019".
She was speaking in Berlin at the ITB, the largest tourism fair in the world.
https://www.itb.com/en/itb-berlin-for-visitors/itb-convention/itb-convention-speaker/
The figures for the month of February, which include two popular European holiday weeks , have not yet been included in the provisional figures.
It is assumed that the figures in the interim report will increase considerably. It is clear that Austrian winter tourism has survived the corona dip of 2021 and 2022.
Warmth shortens the winter
Due to the high temperatures in the winter months, Austria is expecting a short winter. According to Kraus-Winkler, the fact that the tourist figures are still rising this year is due to the extra supply that winter holidaymakers are increasingly using.
"These are mainly spa and similar luxury facilities, but spring and autumn activities are also used if the conditions for an optimal ski day are not met."
Increase in guests from the East
In the current winter season, there has been a strong growth in the number of overnight stays by Asian guests.
The share of visitors from the former Eastern Bloc is also increasing.
In addition, a particularly large number of guests from Germany are coming to Austria.
Figures on winter sports visitors from the Netherlands, Belgium & others are not yet available.
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This despite the inflation busting price increases 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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"spring and autumn activities are also used if the conditions for an optimal ski day are not met"
Sorry but what activities are they referring to? My solution is typically to start apres activities at lunchtime, as conditions were certainly not optimal in February, but maybe I'm missing other activity options.. 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Pyramus, on Saturday I race trained first thing in the morning, went back home, walked the dog then went skiing again when the OH had finished work for the morning.
Next to my house where I walk the dog is a Klettersteig, there was half a dozen or so people doing the klettersteig as I walked past.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Post lockdowns ,my impression of skiing and other overseas holidays is that punters are making hay. Pent up demand / you only live once, travel minded folk are making the most of freedom to do what they love.
Hotels we love in Austria are investing heavily in much improved spas/pools, I assume planning long term for a world with less snow.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Tue 12-03-24 21:25; edited 1 time in total
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Postcovid relief tourism.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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. . . and decent ear doctors!
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Tourism is booming.. Japan also getting record numbers.
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I see no reason for any overall great slump in Alpine tourism. The mountains and lakes have always been lovely, not just in winter, and their altitude, and resulting cooler climate, will be increasingly attractive. And in winter, pollution levels can be considerably less at higher altitudes especially when there's a temperature inversion and walking and snowshoeing will be an attractive option even in areas where snow cover is much less reliable.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Agree - Austria / Switz resorts are beautiful all year round; just as busy in summer with trekking/mountain biking etc. Do think we'll see an upsurge in the Nordic skiing over future winters as the planet melts however . . .chap I know skied this season in temps of -25 . . . evenings went down to -30+ . . .
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Actually, some areas may be much more attractive without all the ski ironmongery. I've done a fair bit of walking in the northern French alps in summer and it's very good to get away from the ironmongery. Though some of it will be useful for mountain biking, I suppose. It's nice to get away from the mountain bikes too - they can be a menace on shared paths. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We’ve been to Saalbach twice and Chamonix once since 2017, always in summer and had lovely times. Would have been lovely to ski but that’s unfortunately necessary. Just occurs to be that there’s 9, poss 10:months a year of tourism available now, where it used to be ski oh and anything else we can get ?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Tyrol: February gave Tyrol's winter tourism a strong boost - Easter is mixed
The Corona downturn is history, Tyrol's winter tourism picked up on the two record years 2017/18 and 2018/19 (each about 27.5 million holiday overnight stays) in this winter season at the latest.
In February, which is traditionally the strongest winter month, the number of arrivals rose by 3.1 percent year-on-year to over 1.51 million, while the number of overnight stays rose even more sharply by 5.4 percent to over 7.6 million.
After two-thirds of the winter season (which lasts from the beginning of November to the end of April), Tyrol's tourism accounts for an increase in arrivals of 4.5 percent to almost 4.25 million and an increase of 3.7 percent to almost 18.94 million overnight stays.
With these figures, however, this year's season is also 1.4 percent higher in arrivals and 3.7 percent in overnight stays compared to the figures of the last pre-Corona winter 2018/19.
The early Easter date at the end of March (nex was supposed to give tourist service providers a compact, strong season, but in view of the mild temperatures of the past few weeks, the euphoria is currently restrained. 
When thousands of Tyrolean holidaymakers arrive this weekend, there will still be free accommodation in almost all regions, according to the tenor from the tourism associations.
Things are "quiet" at Lake Achensee, for example, they say, and all three mountain railways have already stopped skiing.
Meanwhile people in the Zillertal are also satisfied with the booking situation.
On the Seefeld Plateau, the cross-country ski trails are already closed, except for the Rosshütte mountain railways, the other ski lifts are already at a standstill.
On the other hand, the side valleys in the Oberland are still completely prepared for winter, and will last at least mid-April. "Very satisfied with the booking situation and the slope conditions," says Oliver Schwarz, Managing Director of TVB Ötztal.
The ski season is also still in full swing on the Arlberg and Paznaun with corresponding capacity utilisation.
"It is not possible to draw a uniform picture of the booking situation in Tyrol for the Easter holidays," sums up Tirol-Werbung Managing
Director Karin Seiler. In low-lying regions, demand is subdued, although there are still good conditions for skiing on the mountains there.
https://www.tt.com/artikel/30878619/februar-gab-tirols-wintertourismus-einen-starken-schub
Occupancy rate at Easter completely different
There is a different picture between the upper and lower regions as far as the occupancy rate in tourism at Easter is concerned. One reason is the lack of snow. Overall, however, Tirol Werbung is satisfied with the winter season so far.
Easter week is traditionally an important source of revenue for domestic tourism. However, some regions in Tyrol are far from having a successful Easter holiday. In the lowlands, March has already completely disappeared in some cases. As far as the booking situation for Easter week is concerned, a very differentiated picture emerges in Tyrol.
Strong west-east divide
"In the higher altitudes to the west – Ötztal, Serfaus, Ischgl – we hear a very good booking situation, an occupancy rate of up to 80 percent," explained Tirol Werbung boss Karin Seiler. "In the lower regions – Kitzbühel Alps, Wilder Kaiser – it gets a bit more difficult. The booking situation is 40 or 50 percent," says Seiler.
In some cases, some businesses have already closed "because they can't keep these weeks until Easter, even though we have a compact season.
So I'm curious to see how it will be next year. That's where it gets much more challenging," Seiler says, referring to next year's Easter holidays. In 2025, Easter Sunday falls on April 20.
Satisfied with Christmas time and February
Although the season has been challenging so far due to little snow at the beginning and at the end, the preliminary balance is quite positive, according to Tirol Werbung: "The Christmas season and February in particular were very strong months," says Seiler. "And this is also where the companies earn the most. If Easter goes well, which we expect all over Tyrol, we will probably be pretty much the same as last year."
But relying on skiing alone will no longer work in the future. That is why it is all the more important to make domestic tourism more diverse, according to Seiler.
https://tirol.orf.at/stories/3250453/
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Skiing in both Styria (and Sud Tirol) this winter, our hotels were very busy with visitors from Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. Often families despite their schools being open. Can’t recall so many before, can only be great boon for the Austrian and Italian winter sports industries.
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You know it makes sense.
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Just had this discussion over a couple of Weisbeers in the Otzi Bar above Flachau. We (older gnarly Ski School vets) all concluded that in terms of numbers, we've never had a busier season. This despite relatively poor conditions in March.
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FAQ
