When the temperature drops, nothing beats organising a day out with friends or family on the slopes at one of Austria's stunning ski resorts like Semmering or Bad Gastein.
But a frustrating part of life here is that you might turn up to the mountains – and be turned away from resorts because there's no space. Or you don't go in the first place because it's simply too expensive.
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Now a familiar debate has emerged: should ski resorts in Austria be allowed to offer discounted rates to locals?
It comes amid increasing discussions about the effect of overtourism in Austria and how to deal with it.
Why do tourism bosses want to offer cheaper tickets to locals?
The aim of cheaper rates is to ensure that the local population supports tourism on their doorstep, while also encouraging them to use the slopes. State Secretary for Tourism Elisabeth Zehetner, of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), recently told ORF Vorarlberg that this is the only way to make tourism "work in the regions".
Ski resorts in South Tyrol, for instance, want to attract locals to the slopes with tickets that are 30 percent cheaper than regular rates. Zehetner said that “wherever we have infrastructure that is used by both guests and locals,” there should be "benefits for the local population".
But it's not that simple. Under EU law, this practice is not allowed. EU rules ban discrimination based on factors like customers' nationality or place of residence. The so-called 'geo-blocking' regulation makes clear that services must be offered to everyone on the same terms.
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It's unclear if this move would be uniformly supported at the EU level. Changing the rules would see a far-reaching overhaul to how the European Union sees itself. Legislative changes in this area would also affect, for instance, museums in Italy, churches in Spain and spas in Germany.
But in practice, Austrian ski resorts have long used Einheimischentarife – local-resident tariffs – despite the legal grey zone, reports Der Standard.
How ski resorts are offering deals
Resorts are working on creative ways to make annual passes more affordable for locals.
These include things like early-bird sales.The concept of offering cheaper tickets in advance – long before tourists arrive in the country – is popular and legally sound.
Managers at the Planai/Hochwurzen ski resort in Styria, for instance, started offering cheaper tickets at the beginning of last season to everyone, regardless of residence.
“We noticed that this was mainly taken advantage of by ski enthusiasts within a radius of 300 to 400 kilometers who often come for short breaks," managing director Georg Bliem told Austrian broadcasters recently, adding that this move had "paid off well".
Another tactic is utility-contract perks. Some resorts now provide discounts to anyone holding a contract with a local electricity provider. Conveniently, most locals qualify, while tourists don’t. This means the benefit isn’t tied to residency, keeping operators on the right side of the law.
Franz Hörl, chairman of the Cable Car Industry Association in the Chamber of Commerce and a member of the ÖVP in the National Council, said these fixes help serve locals but admits the landscape is messy, with each ski area improvising its own system.
Could it happen?
Industry and tourism bosses in Austria wants to see the EU address this issue head-on.
Surprisingly, there may be some movement. The EU’s tourism commissioner, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, recently signalled he may support local-resident tariffs in some EU regions.
He said that affordable access could be viewed as “sustainable tourism.”
Locals should be able to “go skiing regularly”, said Tzitzikostas. “Such access to the slopes and mountains at reduced prices is, after all, the ‘definition of sustainable tourism.'"
EU officials say the matter will be reviewed and assessed in the coming months.
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