Lienz without a World Cup: blessing or curse for tourism?

Lienz without a World Cup: blessing or curse for tourism?

Lienz, Österreich - On March 27, 2025, the Austrian Ski Association (ÖSV) announced that no World Cup races will no longer take place in Lienz. The decision follows the hint of winter operations by the owners of the lifts, the Tourismus Association East Tyrol (TVBO) and the city of Lienz. This development came after intensive discussions about the future role of the event in the region, which are repeatedly flared up during the operating hours of the second ski area.

The ÖSV is now looking for a new partner for the ski circus. One last attempt to snow the Hochstein for two planned World Cup races was rejected by the Mayor of Lienz, which means the final end of the prestigious competitions in the region.

Pro and contra of the World Cup

The opinions about the deletion of the World Cup are strongly shared. Proponents argue that the event has a significant advertising value for Lienz and promotes the tourist association with winter sports. According to these supporters, the World Cup could also ensure that the local hotel industry is buried during the competitions.

On the other hand, there are important counter -arguments. Critics of the event indicate the high costs of 90,000 euros for the issue and criticize the unfavorable time of the races at the end of December. At that time, the ski areas are traditionally heavily frequented, which means that they are blocked for normal citizens and guests. The opponents also cited the existing hotel utilization in the high season as an argument against the execution of the World Cup. They also doubt the advertising value of the races and emphasize that the costly preparation of the Hochstein for only two days of competition would burden the budget of the city and TVBO excessively.

The consequences for Lienz

The final decision to do no more World Cup has far -reaching consequences for the city of Lienz and its surroundings. After the planned races, the blocking of the mountain for guests and locals would have caused additional problems. These dynamics are not new, but the deletion of the World Cup will require a rethink in the tourist orientation of the region.

The developments around the World Cup in Lienz reflect a bigger problem that many winter sports locations are confronted with: How can you promote sustainable tourism and at the same time carry out large events that are often associated with high costs and logistical challenges? The current changes could therefore also be seen as an opportunity to go new ways of imtourism, which will benefit both the region and its visitors in the long term.

For more information on this topic, Dolomitenstadt href = "https://opus.ostfalia.de/files/598/koehler_2014_sportgross-grossstaltungen_destination.pdf"> ostfalia provides deeper insights into the dynamics of sports greater events and destination development.