Ski season 2024/25 on the Hochstein: a disaster for Lienz and the hotel industry

Ski season 2024/25 on the Hochstein: a disaster for Lienz and the hotel industry

In the beautiful Austrian Alps, there are dramatic developments in the Hochstein ski area in Lienz. While the 2024/25 winter season is imminent, the situation for local entrepreneurs and the tourism industry remains worrying. The ski lifts on the Hochstein will not be put into operation this season, and those responsible are faced with the challenge of dealing with the damage caused.

The cause of the closure lies in the delayed maintenance work, which is urgently necessary to ensure the safety of the company. The necessary work includes the exchange of armchair clamps at a double lift, but the required spare parts are only available in March 2025 at the earliest. This means that not only the mandatory offers for winter sports enthusiasts are eliminated, but also the mood in the community is badly affected, since the local hotel companies have to fight with canceling guests.

catastrophic impact on tourism

The effects of the closure are serious. According to hotelier Reinhold Tiefenbacher, 80 percent of his hotel guests have already canceled their bookings. "For us this is a big disaster," he comments on ORF. Margit Stotter, head of the Grafinhof, adds: "Before the winter season, this is a hard club that we have been pulled over it." These statements illustrate the significant extent of the economic crisis that the decision brings.

The information about the closure was only passed on to the local gastronomy and tourism scene at the end of September. Many companies faced the challenge of reacting to the situation in good time. Christoph Stotter, operator of a ski school, describes the situation as catastrophic and reports that he had invested in equipment at short notice to make the winter season in the best possible way. "You took my existence in one fell swoop," he complains.

The closure also has an impact on the companies in the tourism sector. At the family business Sternalm, losses of 40,000 euros were to be accepted last year, since the ski lifts did not go into operation as planned. Now this facility is facing a final closure after investing a lot of money in renovations.

entrepreneurial decisions and backgrounds

The Lienzer Bergbahnen AG unanimously made the decision to shut down the Hochstein under the pressure of these circumstances. According to Supervisory Council leader Franz Theurl, the economic reality is crucial for this decision: "If you look at this from an entrepreneurial perspective, the decision is a logical one." The winter season on the Schlossberg is enjoying higher income, while the Hochstein has been struggling with problems for years.

The Hochstein ski area is under the printing of high operating costs and a declining number of skiers. Although the winter season should have challenges, the Hochstein remains unreachable for enthusiastic winter sports enthusiasts this season. Those responsible hope that the ski tours will continue to be possible with sufficient fresh snow, because this could offer at least a few ski enthusiasts the opportunity to continue to use the mountains.