Two-season operation

Winter resorts want to boost summer

Many winter sports regions are also worth a visit in summer. Such as the Obertauern region in Salzburg.(Bild: Vit Kovalcik -stock.adobe.com)

Domestic vacation resorts with a strong winter business want to boost summer tourism. If the businesses are open longer in the year, this is also more attractive for staff. 

In Obertauern (municipalities of Untertauern and Tweng), a million tourists stay overnight in winter, but only 100,000 in summer. This is now set to change. "The goal is a two-season operation," says Mario Siedler, Managing Director of the Obertauern Tourism Association.

"The summer is growing strongly"
"Obertauern has its own situation," emphasized the Managing Director of Salzburger Sportwelt Amadé, Gerhard Wolfsteiner, to journalists in Obertauern on Thursday. "At the bottom", the ratio of overnight stays from winter to summer is 60 to 40 percent. "Summer is growing strongly - guest arrivals have increased by 25 percent since 2015."

Summer season lasts twelve weeks instead of eight
So far, Obertauern has reportedly focused primarily on quality tourism. "The next step is of course the summer, the topic of climate," emphasized Siedler. The summer season used to last eight weeks, but now it lasts twelve weeks, with lifts in operation and hotels open.

"We want to develop this period further." The pressure is coming from several directions. "Companies find it easier if they have employees for the whole year, especially in management positions."