Salzburg cable car conference: Cable car companies are a key industry for the state

At the cable car industry's annual meeting in St. Johann im Pongau, the sector drew a positive conclusion about the past summer and outlined the outlook for the upcoming winter season. Almost 90% of the local summer mountain lifts recorded an increase in visitors during the past season, and according to a large-scale visitor survey, customer satisfaction stood at 4.3 out of a possible 5 points.

Despite challenging conditions, the outlook for the winter season remains positive. Last winter, 2025/2026, saw a 7.2% increase in first-time visitors, reaching 12.8 million. "Of course, rising costs for personnel, energy, and construction are a concern. However, we expect our state-of-the-art winter offerings to be well-received by guests again this year," said Erich Egger, head of the industry association. Businesses are particularly struggling with lengthy permitting processes and excessive bureaucracy. "The permitting processes for new reservoirs or new facilities, for example, need to be faster. Otherwise, costs will spiral out of control," Egger continued. He noted that construction costs for a single cable car system have exactly doubled in the last 13 years.

Overall, Salzburg's cable cars generate €1.9 billion in added value, securing 27,000 jobs in other sectors. The Salzburg cable car company itself employs nearly 2,000 people. Future investments will focus primarily on quality. "With modern snowmaking technology, a base snowpack can be produced within a week," explains Egger. A current priority in the region is the modernization of reservoirs. The nearly 120 reservoirs in Salzburg hold a total volume of 7.2 million cubic meters of water. By comparison, the Mooserboden reservoir in Kaprun has a capacity of 88 million cubic meters.