Alps in tourism fever: Families before the adventure of nature!

Alps in tourism fever: Families before the adventure of nature!

From the 1950s onwards, Alpine tourism developed into a central part of the holiday experience in Europe. In the post-war years, many people felt a strong wanderlust and were able to afford modest vacations for the first time. The alpine region offered nature, relaxation and adventure, without major language barriers. For many families traveling to the Alps for the first time, the mountains meant a mix of “home” and “far away”. While they saw the mighty Großglockner in front of them, everyday life remained behind them. Satisfaction with little comfort was accepted back then, with the focus being on experiences. This is explained in the documentation ARD media library captured impressively.

Today, Alpine tourism is a significant source of income for the region, with around 120 million holidaymakers every year. According to tourism researcher Mike Peters, sustainability and extended seasons offer new opportunities for the tourism industry. However, Alpine tourism has developed from an exclusive destination for the wealthy to mass tourism. In this context, tourism generates direct added value of 20 billion euros annually, which contributes to 17% of GDP in regions such as Tyrol and 7% in Austria as a whole.

Current challenges in Alpine tourism

Although the tourism industry in the Alpine region has almost returned to its pre-corona pandemic level - around 546 million overnight stays were recorded in 2022 - many family businesses are facing significant challenges. 90% of these companies have only a few employees and struggle with high production and infrastructure costs. In addition, there will be around 8,000 company handovers in the hospitality and accommodation industry in Austria by the end of the decade, with many successors showing no interest in these companies. This often leads to closures, while high debt loads and the need for renovation make the handover even more difficult.

The shortage of workers is also a serious problem. In Bavaria, there will be a shortage of around 45,000 workers in tourism in 2023, and around 6,400 in Switzerland. The industry has struggled with a poor employer reputation, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Up to a quarter of all employees leave the industry every year, which further increases seasonality and creates an imbalance in the labor supply.

Changing guest expectations

The expectations of holidaymakers have also changed. Guests are demanding more than ever flexible cancellation conditions and sustainable offers. The trend is also towards apartments and chalets, which is permanently changing the accommodation landscape. From a climate change perspective, there is evidence that tourism flows could be affected and seasons could be lengthened.

Comprehensive measures are required to secure the future of Alpine tourism. Necessary, among other things:

• Attraktivität für Arbeitskräfte und Unternehmensnachfolgen erhöhen
• Ausbildung und Karriereperspektiven verbessern
• Entwicklung ganzjähriger touristischer Angebote
• Revitalisierung von Gasthäusern als Kommunikationszentren
• Langfristige Regionalentwicklungskonzepte zur Balance zwischen Tourismus und Lebensqualität
• Nachhaltigkeitskonzepte zur Sicherung des Tourismus

Overall, Alpine tourism is at a critical point. With knowledge of past successes and the challenges of the present, it is crucial to develop a big vision in order to continue to benefit from the Alps as a holiday region in the future. Further information is available on this The Pragmaticus.