Outdoor pool summer 2025: Price increase despite a cool start to the season!

Outdoor pool summer 2025: Price increase despite a cool start to the season!

The 2025 outdoor pool season brings unpleasant news for many visitors: admission prices are rising in numerous leisure facilities. According to the current information from vol.at Many outdoor pools, including the Hard lido, are starting their new season with increased ticket prices. The start of the season on May 29, 2025 was promising despite adverse weather conditions, with pleasing advance sales.

Ticket prices have changed, particularly in Bregenz facilities such as the Seebad Bregenz and the Val Blu in Bludenz. The increases range from 3.4% for children to up to 6.8% for adults. In the seaside resort of Bregenz, a day ticket for adults now costs 6.90 euros, while the Val Blu has increased its price to 7.40 euros. These adjustments can be observed in almost all outdoor pools surveyed.

Reasons for the price increases

The increased prices are primarily due to inflationary pressure, higher costs for personnel, energy and water as well as maintenance expenses. Managing director Ewald Peritsch from the Hard lido emphasizes that he takes inflation into account every year. In addition, many operators have invested: extensive renovations took place in the seaside resort of Bregenz, with a total of 85 million euros invested in modernization. The Hard lido has also upgraded its infrastructure with 14 million euros.

The trend is similar in Germany. A survey by the Association of Municipal Companies (VKU) shows that one in three outdoor swimming pools increases their prices. The reasons for this are not only the general cost increases, but also the dependence of many pools on municipal subsidies to cover running costs. The Munich public utilities, for example, have increased admission to 6 euros, while in Berlin a day ticket will now cost 7 euros. In Koblenz the price was also increased from 4 euros to 5 euros, which reflects the generally difficult financial situation of the pools.

Outlook and challenges

The operators expect the financial situation to deteriorate in the coming years. 72% of operators expect such a development, with only 4% expecting an improvement. Due to the shortage of skilled workers and the renovation backlog in many facilities, 16% of operators are considering closing outdoor pools in the short or medium term. VKU general manager Ingbert Liebing is therefore urgently calling for better funding programs to maintain swimming pools.

With the opening of the 2025 outdoor pool season, it is clear that rising entry prices and the need for renovation represent a challenge for many pool operators. The uninviting weather in the early stages of the season could also have an impact on visitor numbers. Nevertheless, the operators hope for a stable number of visitors and are relying on the renovations to become more attractive.