Massive ski lift pass price hikes uncovered

Croats heading to Austria for skiing holidays will face the increased lift prices at many ski resorts, Austrian Times has reported.The lift prices in Austrian ski resorts have soared by well over 10 per cent during the past four years, a survey has shown.Consumer information magazine Konsument found that only a few of the checked skiing regions had increased lift pass prices below the inflation rate. Konsument revealed rates at most resorts rose twice as much as the inflation rate between the 2006/2007 season and the current winter period.The magazine explained that the consumer price index – which considers certain aspects of people's lives in relation to the inflation rate – increased by 7.5 per cent during the past four years, while lift tickets prices climbed by 10 per cent or more in the vast majority of resorts at the same time.Konsument reports that especially smaller skiing areas imposed significant price hikes during the past few years. It also points out that the price for a six-day pass for a four-member family costs up to 445 Euros more in some areas than in other regions.Austria has been one of the most important winter sport holiday destinations for decades. Around 56.1 million overnight stays were recorded in the country between November 2009 and last March. One in five jobs in Austria are directly or indirectly linked with tourism, according to the Innsbruck Management Centre (MCI).MCI expert Hubert Siller explained recently that the main challenge for tourist regions nowadays was to keep high standards since overnight and turnover figures in the Alps seem to have reached their zenith.Siller stressed the overall strong performance of the hotel industry in the Alps had to be kept in mind when speaking of a possible decline of bookings and earnings.Austrian Economy Chamber (WKO) official Hans Schenner announced earlier this month that he expected the country's tourism and leisure time sector to do well this winter.Schenner said many people would decided at the last minute on whether to go skiing or not this winter depending on the weather.Viennese research agency Manova found that around one in three winter sports bookings occur in Austria. The agency also said every skier was spending an average 104 Euros a day during the stay.Austrian holiday business managers have once more focused on marketing measures in neighbouring Germany ahead of this winter. The country is the most important market for winter sport businessmen since 16 million Germans describe themselves as active skiers.

Source: Croatian Times Online News