Sustainable tourism in the SkiWelt
Snow is produced in the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser-Brixental using efficient technology from air, water and energy from Tyrolean hydropower. This is the purity principle for snow!
With the GPS snow measurement system, every slope is measured to the centimeter in summer and can therefore be prepared precisely. Since its introduction, around 20-25 percent of resources have been saved every year. The water comes from the snowmaking ponds, consisting of snowmelt and rain. In spring, the snow melts and flows back into nature. This creates a circular economy on the mountain.
Clean snow groomers
Ski pro Benni Raich naturally loves the white slopes. But that requires the big snow groomers. The synthetic fuel currently used for the snow groomers burns slightly cleaner than conventional fuels. Although GTL Fuel is produced synthetically, it is still based on fossil natural gas. Stefan Grafl, Managing Director of Bergbahnen Westendorf, explains ski star Benni Raich:"In the future, we plan to use a diesel substitute made from waste products such as used cooking oil."
Energy from 100% green electricity
SkiWelt has already received the award for the most ecological ski area in the world several times due to its countless ecological and sustainability projects. The starting point for this is certainly the fact that the entire SkiWelt is powered by 100% green electricity from Tyrolean hydropower . Electricity is saved with the help of 17 reservoirs and only pure drinking water is used for snowmaking. The SkiWelt has also already received some great awards, for example: a lift powered by solar energy, a photovoltaic system, electric/electric charging stations and heating with air heat pumps. Since 2008, a hut has been heated with the back heat from 2 gondola lifts!
Save resources with snow measurement system and GPS
Back in 2017, SkiWelt invested over ½ million euros in a snow measurement system, which has been continuously expanded and brings annual savings of around 25% in snowmaking resources throughout SkiWelt. In 2018/19, the comprehensive GPS-controlled slope management system for slope grooming was expanded by SkiWelt's 71 slope machines: every slope was measured to the centimetre in summer and can therefore be groomed precisely. The result of this snow management is an enormous saving in technically produced snow and energy. This technically produced snow is returned to the natural water cycle when the snow melts.
Mobility
We also pay attention to sustainability when it comes to travel: The SkiWelt ski buses are free for all skiers in ski equipment and with a valid ski pass! Some of the ski buses in the individual regions are linked to a valid guest card.
All sustainability projects
Joint projects
| Project | Year of implementation | Area | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ski area | Over 20 years | Energy | The entire SkiWelt is operated exclusively with 100% green electricity from Tyrolean hydropower. Only green electricity is also used for snowmaking and other equipment. TIWAG Inn power station (20 km away) |
| Heat recovery system Joint project SkiWelt Brixen & SkiWelt Westendorf | 2008 | Renewable energy | The Choralpe mountain restaurant is heated with the return heat from 2 gondola lifts: This project was planned at the same time as the new construction of the SkiWeltbahn Brixen and Choralmbahn Westendorf. |
| Snow measuring system | 2017 | Conservation of resources | Using GPS, the snow cover on all slopes is determined to within a few centimetres and informs the snow groomer drivers in real time during grooming how much snow is currently under their powerful snow groomers. Annual savings of 25% on snowmaking resources throughout the entire SkiWelt. |
| Bus pendulum | Since 2018 | Mobility | Daily bus shuttle from Munich to the SkiWelt and back from the start to the end of the season + 2x a week for night skiing. |
| Bus pendulum | 2015 - 16 / 16 - 2017 | Mobility | Long-distance coach 5 times a week in Hamburg, Amsterdam, Brussels or Berlin and get off in SkiWelt in the morning. |
| Night trains | 2019 | Mobility | Travel comfortably and easily overnight with the ÖBB Nightjet and start your skiing fun the next morning (Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Amsterdam). 3-6-day SkiWelt ski pass is included for each ticket type. All SkiWelt resorts that do not have a direct train station are also covered by a shuttle for the last mile. There is also a night train from London, Copenhagen or Stockholm |
| ÖBB Combi Ticket Winter Sports | 2019 | Mobility | Ski pass & train ticket to the SkiWelt Hopfgarten station and 1, 3 or 6-day ski pass. The combined ticket can be purchased at all train stations in Austria. The train station in Hopfgarten is only 100m away from the cable car. |
| Test e-skibus | 2022 | Mobility | Throughout the winter season, e-ski buses from various brands will be tested on a weekly basis in all SkiWelt resorts. The aim is to put them into full operation from 2024 and replace the conventional ski buses. Participation of tourism associations, municipalities, mountain railroads |