The focus was on future strategies for ski resorts

Wintersport Arena members elect board and look to the future 

While lifts and slope rollers slowly awaken from their summer slumber, the Wintersport-Arena Sauerland organizes its annual general meeting. In autumnal temperatures, the winter sports stakeholders took a look back and forward in Altastenberg. The agenda included board elections and a presentation on opportunities for transformation in winter tourism. 

The stakeholders are putting the past difficult winter behind them and focusing on the upcoming season. The announcement of the five million euro investment, mainly in all-weather snow systems including a pilot project for the use of waste heat, had aroused great interest in recent days. However, technical development is only one side of the coin. Sustainability is at least as important. While the initial aim when the Wintersport-Arena Sauerland was founded in 2003 was to increase snow reliability and then the quality of the offers, the goal of climate neutrality is currently the top priority. The Wintersport-Arena Sauerland wants to communicate this change both externally and internally and has redefined its priorities based on its mission, vision and attitude. 

The keynote speech by Markus Redl, Managing Director of the local Austrian business agency ecoplus Alpin, fits seamlessly into this context. The tourism experts from the Sauerland and Siegerland regions listened intently to his presentation, drew many parallels and agreed with him wholeheartedly. The region in Lower Austria has made the transition to a year-round destination. However, this is in contrast to the Sauerland winter sports arena with extensive state funding. According to Redl, medium-sized ski resorts in particular are coming under pressure, while smaller ones are more flexible in their ability to develop individual strategies. Individual is the key adjective here. After all, there is no one-size-fits-all path to success.

Nevertheless, according to Redl, there are certain patterns. Mergers make ski resorts larger and more attractive. Summer offers can create a balance. Optimized use of snow-covered areas ensures reliable and attractive offers. Each of these strategies has opportunities, but also limits and risks. The decision can therefore only be made against the background of the respective local possibilities. Not everything is technically feasible and economically viable at every location. 

Similar to the Sauerland winter sports arena, the region in Lower Austria is focusing on the cycling megatrend. The Wexl adventure arena has successfully established itself on the market with a bike park, summer toboggan run, motor skills park and hiking offers, among other things. In winter, visitors from nearby Vienna will find family-friendly winter sports activities. Tobogganing, for example, is an attractive winter sport that requires less expensive local infrastructure. 

The demand for climate neutrality is becoming ever louder. Areas that are in a position to take their winter sports facilities into the future by optimizing snowmaking must adapt to this. The use of renewable energies, in-house electricity production and the creation of incentives for climate-friendly travel can be cornerstones of this concept. 

Board elections
There were a few changes to the composition of the Executive Board and many confirmations. Michael Beckmann, Mayor of the town of Winterberg, remains the first Chairman. Christoph Koch from Bad Berleburg town council remains second chairman. Katja Lutter from Schmallenberger Sauerland Tourismus replaces Thorsten Schulte as second deputy chairman. Sebastian Reif from the West German Ski Association replaces Karl Heinz Krömpke as Assessor. The following were confirmed as assessors: Christoph Klante (Winterberg ski lift carousel), Christian Rummel (Willingen ski resort), Frank Linnekugel (Hochsauerland district) and Andreas Bernshausen (Siegerland Wittgenstein district)