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Climate change is impacting winter tourism in Austria, particularly due to the unpredictability of snowfall. Ski resorts below 2000 meters are struggling with snowless winters, while those above 2000 meters are less affected. Winter tourism is slowly recovering after the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is important to promote ski tourism to prevent job losses. Alternative snow production methods like snow cannons and snow farming can help sustain winter tourism, but they have drawbacks such as high water usage, energy consumption, environmental impacts, and disruption of wildlife. Emerging trends in the winter tourism sector include ice skating and guided snowshoeing tours as alternatives to traditional winter sports. Welcome to our podcast episode on climate change and its impact on winter tourism in Austria. I'm your host, Andrew Mason, and today we are embarking on a journey to explore how the changing climate is reshaping one of Austria's most cherished and profitable industries. From the beautiful, miles-long slopes of the Alps to the bustling ski resorts, winter tourism has long been a cornerstone of Austria's economy and culture. Winter tourism can be traced back to the late 19th century, particularly in regions such as Tirol and Vorarlberg, and has grown exponentially ever since. However, as global temperatures rise and snow patterns shift, the very essence of this beloved tradition faces unprecedented challenges. Joining us are two experts who will shed light on the environment and economic implications for these changes, providing insights into the possible future of winter tourism in Austria. Our first guest is Monika Gellner, a seasoned geographer specializing in cryosphere geography at the University of Innsbruck. With a focus on snow hydrology in the Alps, particularly in Tirol, Monika brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our discussion. Cryosphere science studies the frozen components of Earth's surface, including snow, ice, permafrost, and their interactions with the environment. But Monika's connection to winter tourism runs deeper than that. As a passionate skier and former skiing instructor, she intimately understands the symbolic relationship between the environment and Austria's cherished winter activities. Nice to have you here, Monika. Hello, everyone. I'm really happy to be here, and I'd like to thank you very much for inviting me here. Our second guest is Barbara Steiner, a 38-year-old hotel manager in the largest skiing region in all of Tirol, Ski Aalberg. Barbara has been immersed in the hospitality industry since her childhood, officially joining the workforce at the age of 15. Her hotel not only provides accommodation, but also operates a ski school, reflecting her lifelong passion for skiing. With her extensive experience in managing a prominent hotel in major skiing destinations, Barbara brings invaluable insights into the economic aspects of winter tourism. Barbara's love for the slopes dates back to her early years, making her a seasoned expert in both hospitality and winter sports. Welcome, Barbara. Thank you for inviting me to talk about this interesting topic. Let me start by asking you, what do you see as the future of winter tourism in Austria, given the increasing unpredictability of snowfall due to climate change? Yeah, so like you already said, snow is very unpredictable. It will not disappear within the next 10 years, but there will be winters where we get no snow or only a little amount of snow, especially in lower elevations. And the frequency of those winters will most definitely increase, but there will still be winters where we will get a lot of snow, even in lower elevations. Anyway, the snow recordings of the last decades clearly show that the average snow line is moving upwards. To be precise, there have been only a few changes above 2000 meters in altitude, but snowfall has significantly decreased between 500 and 2000 meters. Therefore, ski resorts above 2000 meters, for example Sölden or Ischgl, are less affected, while ski resorts below 2000 meters, for example Bad Gastein or Saalbach-Hinterglem, they have a lot of slopes below 2000 meters and they will unfortunately increasingly struggle with snowless winters in the following years. Oh, I see. So essentially what you're saying is that there will be a noticeable trend of less snowfall in lower altitudes. Barbara, what changes concerning winter tourism in Austria do you expect? Well, you know, while I agree with Monika that we have been experiencing less snow in recent winter months, the latest statistics also show that winter tourism is only slowly catching up again after the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why I feel pretty optimistic about the future of winter tourism in our country. However, there is also a sign that it is more important now than ever to promote ski tourism. Over half of the population in Ontario has a profession located in the tourism sector, and we cannot risk all those people losing their jobs just because we have a little less snow than in the years before. We need to find efficient ways to face this problem and learn to live with the consequences that were already mentioned before by Monika, so that skiing resorts will have a chance to survive and maybe even flourish again. The tourism sector has taken a pretty hard hit in the last few years and is only slowly starting to recover. We can't give up now that we're at a crucial point of rebuilding the strong winter tourism we used to have some 10 years ago. With the threat of diminishing natural snowfall, what role do alternative snow production methods such as snow cannons or snow farming play in sustaining Austria's winter tourism industry? Can these methods be optimized to ensure both environmental sustainability and economic viability? In my area, we have had some very good experiences with snow cannons and their efficiency. One of the big benefits of using snow cannons as a method of artificially producing snow is that you can plan exactly where you want the snow to go and how much snow you would like. In addition, I feel that in general we have some great water resources that can be used very well in high season winter months to help out in covering the ski tracks with a good amount of snow. Of course, skiing regions and areas with less readily available water resources will have a harder time in using the snow cannons efficiently and cost effectively. But I'm sure there can be some improvements made to provide them with the snow they need. As for snow farming, we have actually never used it in our skiing region since we lack the space to store the snow over the summer. All the ski tracks are used as meadows for the cattle and sheep in the summer, so we have no means of doing it. I also do have to say that I do not really see any sense in doing it, at least not entirely, since it is very exhausting to keep the snow farm at the right temperature and ensure that there is no decline in quality over time. Furthermore, as I already mentioned, many ski tracks are used as meadows in the summer, so it would be irresponsible to take away the animals' food and would also make it a lot harder for the farmers to go about their daily business. How about you, Monika? Can snow production methods be used to sustain the environment and economy? Here, I'm very sorry, but I have to disagree with Barbara on some points. So, of course, snow cannons did change winter tourism and it was, from an economic point of view, a great invention. But snow cannons come with their own problems. Not only do they need a lot of water resources, but they need a lot of energy as well, which isn't great for the environment, especially when we are already struggling producing enough renewable energy for our daily use. And to produce snow with snow cannons, it has to be cold as well. The temperature must be below freezing, so minus two degrees Celsius is supposed to be the best temperature. Unfortunately, we also have to take into account that those temperatures are not that common anymore. In December, at lower altitudes in Austria, it is getting warmer and mountain regions are also more affected by the global warming than other areas. Therefore, snow cannons cannot save winter tourism. And snow farming isn't exactly eco-friendly either. When snow farming was invented about 10 to 15 years ago, everyone thought that's the future. That's how we can save our ski resorts. But let me explain snow farming first. Snow farming basically means to store snow over the summer. Big white mats cover the snow to prevent it from melting. And then in autumn, there is snow available for the slopes. The mats which cover the snow are white because of the albedo. So albedo describes how much sunlight the ground reflects and sends back into the atmosphere. I don't want it to get too scientific, but in general, we can say that while white surfaces reflect most of the sunlight, dark surfaces absorb and conserve most of the sunlight. So the white mats have high albedo, which helps to store the snow over the summer. But, and once again, there is a but, unfortunately, those mats are made of plastic. And also contain harmful chemicals. And those chemicals, together with the microplastic molecules from the mats, can get into the ground and poison our soils and water. And secondly, snow farming uses a lot of land. Barbara already mentioned that problem and therefore sees no future with snow farming because in their area, they need land for agriculture. I also have to mention that underneath and above those mats, wildlife is not possible. So no vegetation and no animal life. And once again, we restrict the natural habitats of plants and animals. And that should not happen just in order to ski approximately one month earlier in winter. So in my opinion, snow farming hurts more than it helps. Certainly, the environmental impacts as well as wildlife disruption are important drawbacks of both snow canons and snow farming. Now, looking ahead, beyond traditional skiing and snowboarding, what emerging trends or activities do you foresee coming to Austria's winter tourism sector in the coming years? Oh, let me think. Well, in recent years, we have definitely seen a switch away from the typical winter sport activities. And while the great majority of our guests still come to ski or snowboard, there are also more and more visitors asking about an ice skating track or if we have any guided snowshoeing tours available. Many people that are not into skiing are only just now realizing that there is a variety of other amazing things to do during the cold months. And they enjoy going for a small trip during their winter holiday. Another thing that also has definitely caught on is cross-country skiing. While it was once considered a very niche sport, it has gained quite a large number of enjoys recently. I think that is the biggest evidence that winter tourism is definitely not on the verge of dying out. And we need to think of new methods to ensure that our visitors can continue to do things they enjoy. Are there any additional trends you see coming in the next few years concerning the winter tourism sector, Monika? I honestly just hope that most of the tourists will at least consider traveling by train or public transportation. As our journey through the impacts of climate change and winter tourism in Austria comes to a close, it is evident that we stand at a pivotal moment in the history of this tourist industry. The insights provided by our experts have illuminated the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. From the delicate balance between environmental preservation and economic sustainability to the innovative trend shaping the future of winter tourism, one thing remains clear. Adaption and collaboration will be key in navigating the ever-evolving landscape of the Alps. Thank you for joining us and until next time, stay curious.