The economic importance of winter sports: Insights from the Sport & Brand Congress in Vienna
This year's renowned Sport & Brand Congress in Vienna once again focused on winter sports. Co-organized by the Snowsports Academy, the event featured a high-caliber panel discussion covering a broad range of topics: from the 2025 Alpine Ski World Championships in Saalbach and snow sports offerings for urban areas to sustainability and Marcel Hirscher's return to competitive skiing.
The Sport & Brand Congress of the Swiss ESB Marketing Network at the Vienna Hilton Waterfront is the largest event of its kind in the Austrian sports business and the industry's annual networking highlight. Moderated by Martin Dolezal, CEO of the Snowsports Academy, a dedicated forum focused on the future and importance of winter sports for the Austrian economy.
On stage, Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger (Managing Director of Austrian National Tourist Office), Monica Rintersbacher (Managing Director of Leading Companies Austria), Roswitha Stadlober (President of the Austrian Ski Federation), Marco Harfmann (Director of Transformation & Marketing Communications A1) and Thomas Berger (Head of LAOLA1 / SKI1) discussed the topic.
The consensus among the distinguished panel was that the emotional impact of experiences in the snow is not only a significant factor for the Austrian economy. Rather, skiing and related activities are a globally recognized cultural asset that captivates and inspires people across all nationalities, generations, and skill levels.
Bring the snow fun to the people
In his keynote address, Martin Dolezal of the Snowsports Academy in Vienna emphasized the importance of keeping snow sports relevant – especially in urban areas. "To achieve this, we need to change the mindset in the Alps," said Dolezal, whose team trains more than 2,500 ski and snowboard instructors annually. The high demand for international training was demonstrated by the 150 participants from 38 countries at the course in April 2024 – from South Africa to China and Japan, from across Europe to North America. "These are all international ambassadors who carry our passion out into the world."
To bring this enthusiasm to metropolises far removed from snow, Dolezal argued: "If people can no longer come to the snow, then we have to bring winter sports offerings to the people." He presented three methods for making initial contact. First, indoor snow parks (also known as ski halls), of which there are already 120 worldwide – from Dubai and Cairo to China, Norway, and the Netherlands. Second, artificial ski slopes, where, for example, British Hahnenkamm slalom winner Dave Ryding began his career, and which can now be found in Copenhagen, Stockholm, and, more recently, on the Hohe Wand Wiese in Vienna. "The latter, in particular, shows how we can also address the issue of migration, because last winter 1,500 children from all sorts of backgrounds were able to gain their first skiing experience there," said the Snowsports Academy CEO.
As a third example, Dolzeal showcased its roller ski slopes. These are high-tech conveyor belts with a special surface that allow skiing and snowboarding in very confined spaces. The Snowsports Academy owns a mobile, transportable "SkiMachine," as this technology is officially called. In cooperation with A1, a four-month ski World Championship tour will take place in major shopping centers in Austria starting this fall to promote the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships in Saalbach.
The Ski World Championships as a driving force
This very connection between first-time experiences with snow sports, urbanity, lifestyle, professional sports, and mega-events was the focus of the entire winter sports panel and the subsequent panel discussion. Roswitha Stadlober, President of the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV), explained, for example, that her "vision of a snow sports experience world in Vienna still stands."
For Stadlober, who, along with the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV), is also the official organizer of the Ski World Championships in Saalbach, this is the driving force behind all their activities: "With our athletes, we convey those emotions that are carried around the world. In this way, we want to set a new benchmark with Saalbach – in the sense that even years later, people will say, 'We still think back to these World Championships.' That's why we want to be the perfect host: authentic – family-oriented – relaxed."
Sustainability now plays a key role, according to the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV) president. "The World Championships are a green event, and we will therefore seek ISO certification. Our motto is '1 mountain, 1 finish area, 11 races.' This means everything is within walking distance, there's a dedicated shuttle terminal, and the Saalbach-Maishofen train station is being expanded specifically for the World Championships."
Stadlober acknowledges that disruptive actions at Ski World Cup events are a major nuisance. "But we take responsibility here and have therefore launched our own future program. We are bringing all stakeholders on board to find joint solutions: from the cable car companies and tourism regions to our major partners like A1 and Uniqa, and even NGOs. This is an ongoing process that extends beyond the Saalbach World Championships."
The connection between business and emotions
The economic importance of winter tourism in Austria was emphasized by Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger, Managing Director of the Austrian National Tourist Office. "Winter sports convey a lifestyle that we want to make tangible. On the other hand, they generate €12.6 billion in revenue annually for the tourism industry. This represents a direct contribution of 6.3% to the gross domestic product, while the indirect value added of winter tourism is even higher, at 13% of GDP."
Steharnig-Staudinger also highlighted which international markets are currently the main focus. "Germany and Switzerland remain very strong. The Netherlands is experiencing significant growth – thanks in part to its many indoor ski slopes. Great Britain is also on the upswing again. Furthermore, new markets such as the USA are developing very well. We have formed an alliance with 10 ski resorts there to cultivate this market. Until now, we have only been active in the arts and culture sector. And let's not forget: China also has 17 million skiers."
Feelings and experiences are also central to Marco Harfmann, Director of Transformation & Marketing Communications at A1. “We have been a partner of the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV) for 27 years because skiing is the best way for us to imbue our product with emotion and convey our values. Together with the ÖSV, we stand for perfect technique, high speed, and an incredible will to win, because as market leaders, we don't want to rest on our laurels.”
Sports stars as role models
Monica Rintersbacher, Managing Director of Leitbetriebe Austria, which represents 220 companies with 156,000 employees and an annual turnover of €83.9 billion, also spoke about the exemplary effect of professional sports. "In general, the concept of performance orientation has a positive connotation in sports. We want to translate this to the business world and especially to young people, and say: 'If you are good and motivated in your work, you will be successful and enjoy it.'"
To underpin this, a collaboration was established with the Vienna University of Economics and Business in the research area of "New World of Work," where current trends are addressed. Besides topics such as "Does performance pay off?" or "Reconciling family and career," one stands out clearly, according to Rintersbacher: "People yearn for mental health and a good work-life balance. Many repeatedly say that they feel better when they are out in nature and in the mountains. We need to capitalize on this, for winter as well as for summer – this is how we strengthen the well-being of working people."
Thomas Berger took over the media perspective on winter sports. The Head of LAOLA1 / SKI1 emphasized the importance of keeping TV rights for major events within the country. This applies not only to the Ski World Championships but also to the UEFA EURO 2024 in Germany. Berger sees great potential here for media companies to position themselves. "This year, we're hosting a VIP viewing event for the EURO in the Prater amusement park. Such initiatives could also be an exciting opportunity for skiing, and especially for the World Championships in Saalbach, to bring the sporting emotions even closer to the people and into urban spaces."
Influencers like Marcel Hirscher & Co.
Berger also emphasized the importance of skiing for LAOLA1: “With SKI 1, we launched our own special-interest platform for alpine skiing in 2022 and have achieved very successful reach. When Marcel Hirscher announced his return to racing, our numbers skyrocketed. The most successful top-five news stories come from winter sports.” He added that this topic lends itself extremely well to storytelling. “I assume Marcel will have his own media team accompanying him – ‘behind the scenes’ all the way to Saalbach, so to speak. And that will reach new target groups and millions of people, because it doesn't follow the classic narrative format of an event like the Ski World Championships in Saalbach.”
Roswitha Stadlober is also delighted about Marcel Hirscher's return. "It's fantastic for skiing. We would have loved to have him for the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV). But he can better express the individuality he needs by competing for the Netherlands." She added: "The great thing is that in the FIS races he now has to compete in, he's a tangible role model for young people. That has an incredible effect and generates high TV ratings – even now in the summer."
Stadlober said that athletes like Marcel Hirscher, Manuel Feller, or the Norwegian Lucas Braathen, who now competes for Brazil, are generally "a blessing for winter sports." "Feller also needed some time to find his form. But now he's exactly the type of athlete that Austria and fans in many other countries love."
The future of virtualization and eSports
For Marco Harfmann of A1, it is also important to offer young people an attractive and playful introduction to winter sports. "The more we can get them excited about it, the sooner we'll get them onto a real slope. Gaming and eSports offer excellent opportunities for this. For example, together with the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV), we're launching a new edition of the popular Ski Challenge – and thanks to Samsung, we're bringing the sport to smartphones."
Harfmann explained that the Ski Challenge is also part of the A1 Ski World Championship Tour, where the ski roller track (colloquially known as a ski carpet) offers a first real opportunity to try skiing. "And once young people have tried all of this, the only thing missing is the experience of nature."
Photo credits: Gabriele Grießenböck, Alexandra Bosch
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