Those who seek to debunk Climate Change and Global Warming will point to the ski season beginning earlier each year as justification for their controversial standpoint. What though is little known outside of the resorts open for business at this unseemly early stage in what is still, after all, the middle of autumn, and to…
Whilst not yet amounting to a charm offensive those 'pro' the development of a link between the Pitz and Oetz valleys in the Austrian Tirol have begun to counter the many arguments against the scheme, whose proponents have up to this point had exclusive use of the floor. The Pitztal has long been seen as…
Controversy caused by the expansion of Austrian ski resorts is nothing new. The Alpine arms race continues unabashed, consisting of resorts intra-competing with neighbouring towns and those in adjacent valleys and provinces. There surely though has to be a time, which could already be upon us, when seeking an edge over the competition could reduce…
Significant snowfall in the Alps over the last few weeks has done much to reinvigorate some already worn pistes, with certain areas receiving their first measurable, and much welcome, dump of the season. As though is often the case precipitation was far from evenly spread across the ranges of central Europe, with some lower-lying resorts…
Promoting responsible tourism: what does this increasingly nebulous strapline now represent? Are we expecting responsible tourism to be defined by policies outlined by regional/national tourism associations - or shaped by the actions of those for whom the industry caters? In keeping with many strands of today's society tourists, without guidance or ordinance, are content to…
A proposal to substantially invest in Slovenia's Pohorje ski resort highlights the need for lower-lying areas reliant upon winter sports income to diversify their business models, in the face of the very real threat posed by global warming. In the east of the country Pohorje is in effect the playground for the Mariborcani, much in…
Facilitating Slovenia's highest skiing the eponymous Mount Kanin cableway, in the country's northwest, continues to enjoy an upturn in fortunes since the near catastrophic collapse of several of its carriages in 2013. Remaining closed for several years amid claim and counterclaim that ultimately failed to establish beyond reasonable doubt the cause of the accident, the…
Despite formidable competition within the sector almost any well-run, clean accommodation operated by friendly custodians should more than exist but thrive in an alpine setting. While there is a danger of, for example, one generic Austrian four star establishment resembling the next, only reputational damage born out of genuinely poor guest experiences can realistically jeopardize…
The seemingly inexhaustible desire for further, bigger, longer, and higher cableways in the Austrian Tirol and Salzburgerland provinces is to many a distasteful, unquenchable process that will never be sated. The marginal net gains promised by many projects fail to justify the financial outlay but crucially, the environmental scarring of landscapes to facilitate further pistes,…
Alpine Adventures, Soccer, Central Asian Autocracies & Secessionist Politics 
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