Alpine skiing goes downhill, skiing instructors warn (Feature)

By Miriam Bandar Jan 28, 2011, 2:06 GMT

Vienna - There was a time were skiing instructors in the Alps could expect to start their day in the brilliant morning sun, teaching groups of admiring youngsters.

But with the rising average age of skiers in Europe, the winter tourism industry is worried that their business could be melting away in the coming years.

'We have a significant problem with attracting young people,' said Erich Melmer, an Austrian who is the president of Interski, the international umbrella organization of skiing instructors.

Interski's members are not the only ones who are complaining, as the generational change affects various business sectors involved in winter sports.

'The big question is, how do we bring children back to the slopes?' the Melmer said.

He was in the Austrian resort of Sankt Anton earlier this month at an Interski congress, where thousands of skiing teachers from across the world discussed the future of their profession.

The lack of interest among young people is an international problem, according to Melmer.

The United States and Canada are faced with similar problems, while several skiing resorts in Japan have had to close.

Germany is not faring much better, said the head of the country's skiing instructor association, Norbert Barthle.

'We have the problem that there is an all-out fight for young athletes among all the various sports,' Barthle said.

The change in the population's age structure is the the main reason for the industry's woes, he explained.

As fewer and fewer children have a bigger and bigger choice of leisure activities, skiing is seen as costing too much money and effort, he said.

Twenty years ago, more than 200,000 Austrian pupils spent at least one week a year on the slopes, in the so-called school ski week. Now the numbers are down to 140,000.

Germany has seen a similar trend, Barthle said, despite the fact that the current ski models and teaching methods make it easier than ever to master the snow.

Families no longer automatically reserve a winter vacation in the mountains, as exotic destinations have become more attractive.

And there is a price problem: 'Skiing vacations are well suited for families, but they aren't exactly cheap,' Barthle said.

Many hotels have upgraded with new spas and gourmet restaurants in recent years, and have raised prices in order to recoup these investments.

Likewise, lift operators have installed amenities like heated seats and have therefore also had to raise their ticket prices.

'It's becoming more comfortable, but also more expensive,' Germany's chief skiing instructor said.

Austria's tourism industry is already talking about a two-class society: Those who live in cheap holiday apartments and cook their own food, as opposed to the well-heeled who expect perfect service and lots of choices in a winter wonderland vacation.

'We see that skiing is still interesting for guests, but the demand for other activities is rising,' said the spokeswoman of Austria's tourism board, Ulrike Rauch-Keschmann.

Vacationers once used to ski from 8 in the morning until nightfall.

Now, they might also visit a spa, take a snow-shoe walk, drive a dog sled and ice-skate, topped off by a first-class dinner.

Austria's main target group for winter tourism consists of middle- to upper-income guests between the ages of 35 and 65, mainly from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Britain.

But the skiing industry and politicians are looking for ways to get young people back onto the slopes.

They seek to attract children from migrant families, who have so far shown little enthusiasm for spending weeks in the snow.

'Of course we have a business interest, but it can also help with integration,' Interski president Melmer said.

There is already a government fund to help pupils who cannot afford their own gear.

Barthle suggested that lift tickets should be free for children. 'And rental skis for children have to cost 20 euros (27 dollars) per week - not per day,' he added.

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