Late skiing start in Alps due to warmest autumn on record

Recent snowfall in the northern Alps doesn't hide the fact that many high-altitude ski resorts in Austria and Switzerland have never opened as late as this season - due to the warmest autumn on record. This not only affects skiers who enjoy an early start on the slopes but also impacts the region's important tourism sector.

"We usually started in September when the snow came... and now we start in November," lamented Albin Knoflach who runs a ski school at Austria's Stubai glacier and dreads looking at the weather report every autumn. Due to warmer temperatures, his school has been forced to open later each year. "We are now missing two months out of six months," he told CGTN. This season, Albin expects a third less income.

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Austria's Stubai resort opened its first few slopes in mid-October, the latest start in the glacier's history. In Switzerland some high-altitude-resorts set their opening date as late as mid-November.

If the snow season on the Alpine slopes is getting shorter every year, how long can winter sports actually last? Businesses and governments are worried. In Austria alone, winter tourism generates roughly five per cent of GDP, something that would be difficult to replace.

Climate experts say in the future, skiing will only be possible on elevated glacier resorts like Stubai. 

Despite the fortunate location, Stubai's ski lift director Andreas Kleinlercher is not content. "There's so much involved around skiing. The clothing, the skis - all the materials, the gastronomic and hotel sectors," Kleinlercher told CGTN. "Ultimately, the whole industry will only do well if you can ski everywhere and not just in a few areas."

Summer tourism as new strategy?

Meanwhile, some resorts decided to change strategy. Last season, major Austrian ski destinations such as Schladming had more visitors in summer than winter, offering activities like hiking and mountain biking. It's a tendency also visible in Stubai.

"We can look back currently to a very successful...extended summer season," says Stubai's tourism board director Robert Volderauer. "Okay, for some businesses it is really difficult but also these businesses change to other topics so they also have the possibility to do business as well during the summer period."

But the strategy doesn't work for everyone. In the past months, ski school owner Albin rented out hiking equipment to tourists. In terms of revenue this is only a fraction of what his business makes in winter.

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