Setting the pace for the local area. The value creation study on winter tourism 2022/23 sums it up in figures

The Bad Kleinkirchheimer Bergbahnen. We are ski resort, hiking and biking paradise. We have the Thermal Römerbad and the Kaiserburg Bob. We are a leisure paradise for both young and old, for mountain enthusiasts and foodies, for the whole family. We are all this – and so much more.

For the first time, a study has been carried out to ascertain the economic effects that our guests have on the town, the surrounding communities and even the entire province of Carinthia. And the results are impressive: € 98.7 million in sales in the 2022/2023 winter season generated € 41.7 million in gross value added in the local community and secured 1,200 jobs. But what do these figures mean? What can we take from them? And how do the local people and partners benefit from them?

As the CEO of Bad Kleinkirchheimer Bergbahnen, I’m happy to shed some light on the jungle of figures.

We wanted to know.

Last year, we commissioned a study from the Carinthian Institute for Advanced Studies and Scientific Research (Kärntner Institut für Höhere Studien und wissenschaftliche Forschung – KIHS) to analyse the economic effects of Bad Kleinkirchheim holidaymakers who came to enjoy a spot of skiing or the thermal spa in the 2022/23 winter season. In cooperation with the Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna, study author Ao. Prof. Dr Norbert Wohlgemuth investigated the effects of tourism demand in Bad Kleinkirchheim, driven by the Bad Kleinkirchheimer Bergbahnen, on the economy, job security and the development of prosperity. The study looked into both regional and national effects.

Far more than just an economic indicator.

In terms of overnight stays per person, Bad Kleinkirchheim is one of Carinthia’s most popular tourist destinations in winter. With 414,550 overnight stays (the second-highest number of overnight stays among Carinthian communities), a total turnover of € 98.7 million was generated by people who visited our skiing and thermal spa facilities in winter 2022/2023. This includes all spending by guests on site – from ski passes, hotel accommodation and restaurant visits to shopping at the local supermarket. However, the figure also includes the cost of travelling to and from the resort, which is why not all of the revenue remains in the town, but drives the gross value added effects analysed in the study.

We generate 8 out of 10 jobs.

A local gross value added of € 41.7 million can be derived from the total turnover – i.e. the actual slice that remains in the community, which in turn supports local people and local businesses. This also secures around 1,200 jobs. If you compare this with the number of people employed in the town, at least 8 out of 10 jobs in Bad Kleinkirchheim are directly or indirectly linked to the Bad Kleinkirchheimer Bergbahnen. In this way, we ensure not only economic stability in the area, but above all social stability too.

The province also benefits from winter tourism.

The positive effect of the Bad Kleinkirchheimer Bergbahnen also extends beyond the boundaries of the local community. Around 75% of the gross value added effects can be attributed to the entire province of Carinthia. This means that it is not just our local community that benefits from the holidaymakers, but the province as a whole. This is because the money flows into Carinthia’s economy and local councils, which in turn strengthens other measures that we all benefit from

A green perspective.

We take this huge responsibility seriously. This year, we invested € 4.2 million in infrastructure and renewable energies, demonstrating our commitment to a higher quality, more efficient and greener future in order to continue positioning Bad Kleinkirchheim as an attractive destination for environmentally conscious winter sports fans. This also goes hand in hand with the sustainable development of prosperity in the town and the surrounding communities, which is very important to us. We have already launched a photovoltaic campaign at our summit and valley stations, which will save up to 1,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year in the future. In addition, € 160,000 will be invested this winter in two more local ski buses to minimise traffic congestion between the ski mountains. And that’s not all. Not by a long stretch. We also have plans to invest in the cable car and lift infrastructure.

On the photo: board of management (from left to right): Josef Brugger, Martin Payer, Leopold Gartler, Peter Fritzer, Hansjörg Pflauder

We’re extremely proud of this achievement. Because it proves that we’re not just a fun place to go skiing, but that we’re an economic engine and driving force for the surrounding communities.

By the way, we clearly intend to expand the study in the future. In the next step, we also want to take a closer look at the value-added effects of summer tourism so that we can get an insight into the year as a whole.

So on behalf of the Bad Kleinkirchheimer Bergbahnen Group, I would like to thank all our guests who choose to spend their holidays in the skiing area Bad Kleinkirchheim and the Thermal Römerbad. I would like to thank all those who ensure that our facilities are available for our guests every day, thereby guaranteeing them a relaxing mountain and thermal spa experience. And I would like to thank all our partners and suppliers who deliver an unparalleled overall tourist experience. It is you who contribute to this wonderful success story and keep our local economy vibrant and strong.

With best wishes
Hansjörg Pflauder
CEO of Bad Kleinkirchheimer Bergbahnen