Fight for survival: Wachtberglifte Weyregg close forever!

Fight for survival: Wachtberglifte Weyregg close forever!

The ski world in Austria is under pressure: The Wachtberglifte in Weyregg, Vöcklabruck district, recently announced the end of their season. With an emotional farewell, in which they thanked them for the years of supporting their ski guests, the operators set a clear sign. The reason for the closure are the inadequate snow conditions that make an economic continuation of the company impossible, as is reported in an article by . The lifts that were operated at altitudes of 500 to 800 meters could no longer be maintained due to the frequent interruptions.

But Weyregg is not the only ski area that is in the crisis. The neighboring Forsteralm also had to register bankruptcy and is fighting for survival. The Kasberg, in a similar situation, is also looking for investors for urgently needed modernization of its snowmaking systems. According to SN.AT , the economic challenges, especially at locations at lower altitudes, are enormous: in Gaißau-Hintersee, the lifts have also been in the area, and the economical uncertainty is also Carinthia and Styria.

climate change and its consequences

The effects of climate change are clearly noticeable: in Salzburg, natural snow has decreased by 30 percent under 1,500 meters since the 1960s. These changes in the snow conditions force many operators to rethink their economic strategies. While some ski areas are trying to counteract technical snowmaking, the economic pressure remains high. In Vorarlberg, the critical situation in the ski lifts is shown by Schetteregg, where calculated prices for ski passes are hardly sufficient to cover the cost of snowing.

The situation has meant that in other regions of Austria, adjustments are also necessary. The start of the winter season in Lackenhof am Ötscher was postponed by a week due to the snow conditions, while the region is aiming for a tourist repositioning. The challenges are clear and it remains to be seen how the ski areas will react to this print.