New Leadership for Lower Austria’s Cable Car Sector Signals a Broader Shift in Alpine Tourism

A significant leadership transition in Lower Austria’s cable car industry is putting one of the region’s most prominent mountain tourism operators at the centre of the conversation about the future of Austria’s smaller ski areas, excursion railways and year-round alpine destinations.

On 30 September 2026, Bernd Scharfegger, managing director of the family-owned Rax-Seilbahn, succeeded Michael Reichl as chairman of the Lower Austrian cable car industry's professional association, ending Reichl’s nearly 14-year tenure in the role.

While the change may appear administrative on the surface, it comes at a pivotal moment for Austria’s mountain transport sector as operators increasingly balance winter sports, climate adaptation, summer tourism growth and the economic needs of smaller regional ski areas.

End of an Era

Under Reichl’s leadership, the Lower Austrian cable car sector became a vocal advocate for small ski lift operators and rural mountain communities. According to the association, his achievements included securing special state support for investments in small ski areas following the Covid-19 pandemic, promoting the “Die kleinen, feinen NÖ Skigebiete” platform for small resorts and helping establish the “Volksschulen zum Schnee” initiative to introduce schoolchildren to snow sports.

Reichl’s influence extended beyond the association. He led the Jauerling Lift Company from 2007 and consistently championed the role of local ski lifts in sustaining regional tourism and community life.

His departure therefore marks more than a personnel change. It represents a generational handover within a sector facing profound structural challenges.

Enter Bernd Scharfegger

Scharfegger arrives with a profile that reflects the industry's evolution beyond traditional winter tourism.

As owner and operator of the Rax-Seilbahn and the broader Scharfegger’s Raxalpen Resorts, he oversees one of Lower Austria’s best-known mountain tourism operations in the Wiener Alpen region.

The Rax operation itself is a landmark of Austrian mountain transport history. Opened in June 1926, it was Austria’s first passenger aerial cableway and celebrates its centenary in 2026. The line carries visitors from Hirschwang to the Rax Plateau in approximately eight minutes and remains one of the country’s most recognisable excursion railways.

Scharfegger has publicly stated that the association must continue serving the full spectrum of operators, from ski lifts to hiking and excursion railways, and from major destinations to the smallest mountain areas.

That message reflects the increasingly diverse nature of Austria’s cable car industry.

The Rax Model: A Glimpse of the Future

Scharfegger’s appointment is particularly notable because the Rax has become a case study in year-round mountain tourism.

In September 2026, the Rax-Seilbahn reported a record August with approximately 50,000 passenger journeys, the highest monthly figure in its history. The company attributed growth to strong summer weather, increased demand from urban residents seeking cooler mountain environments and expanding international visitor markets.

The operator says the railway now attracts more than 200,000 visitors annually, benefiting hotels, restaurants, transport providers and local businesses throughout the region.

This trend mirrors a wider shift in Alpine tourism. Across Austria, cable car operators are investing heavily in hiking, family recreation, gastronomy and nature experiences to reduce dependence on winter snow conditions.

The Rax demonstrates how a historically ski-focused mountain transport asset can evolve into a four-season tourism engine.

Small Mountains, Big Questions

The leadership transition also arrives amid ongoing discussions about the future of smaller ski areas.

Many local Austrian lifts face rising operating costs, labour shortages, increasing regulatory pressure and weather uncertainty. Smaller operators often lack the resources available to major Tyrolean or Salzburg resorts.

Reichl spent much of his tenure advocating support mechanisms for precisely these businesses.

Whether Scharfegger can maintain that balance while also representing larger excursion-oriented operators will be closely watched throughout Lower Austria.

National Context

The broader Austrian cable car sector remains one of the country's most influential tourism industries. At the national level, longtime industry leader Franz Hörl continues to chair the Austrian Cable Car Association, emphasising the sector’s economic importance and ongoing policy priorities, including regulatory and tariff issues.

Against that backdrop, regional leaders such as Scharfegger increasingly play a strategic role in shaping how mountain destinations adapt to changing visitor behaviour..

Scharfegger assumes leadership during the Rax-Seilbahn’s 100th anniversary year, a milestone celebrating a railway that helped pioneer Austrian mountain tourism.

Yet his greatest challenge may not be preserving history, but helping define what mountain tourism looks like over the next century.

As visitor demand shifts toward year-round outdoor recreation and regional experiences, Lower Austria’s new cable car chairman inherits an industry searching for sustainable growth beyond the traditional ski season.

The transition from Michael Reichl to Bernd Scharfegger therefore represents more than a change of leadership. It is a reflection of an Alpine tourism sector in transformation, where the future may belong not only to the highest mountains, but also to the operators capable of reinventing them.