Official figures released by the Tirolean tourism office reported increased visitor stays in Tirol for the period November 2014 through end April 2015.

During this winter period, total arrivals (or guests) coming to Tirol totalled 5.6 million guests which is 4% increase year on year and these 5.6 million guests contributed 25.9 million overnight stays which is also up 2.1% year on year. Source: Tirol Werbung

A key factor was the increased number of German visitors to the region. Whilst the German numbers increased by only 4.4%, this country provides half of all the tourist visits from all nations.

At the same time, guests from the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK all contributed to the growth in numbers and this is corroborated by Kristall Spaces’ own data when conferring with the operators of our previous and current developments: all apartment owners and their operating companies are seeing healthy rental returns.

Interestingly, Chinese visitors delivered a 55% growth year on year when it comes to total numbers of guests.

As predicted, Russian numbers have suffered and the statistics point to a 35% decrease in both guests and overnight stays.

Other nations posting increased visits were the Belgium, Italy, Czech Republic and Poland – Italy by as much as 10%.

What type of accommodation are they choosing increasingly?

Rented apartments – like the ones Kristall Spaces builds for ownership with a flexible rental and management model.

Another good reason to invest in Austrian property today.

Kristall Spaces’ data points to a significant rise in interest among UK buyers looking to buy property for sale in Austria, driven by Euro’s continual slide against the Pound.

The Pound is at a 7-year high and buying an Austrian property now for around €400,000 saves UK buyers circa £20,000, compared with January 2014.

Austria’s gain is neighbouring Switzerland’s loss meanwhile: online customer searches for Swiss property has dropped 15% according to Kristall Spaces research thanks mainly to Switzerland’s decision to unpeg its currency from the Euro.

A UK buyer wanting to acquire an apartment or chalet in Switzerland is going to get 13% less for their money now than they would have at the beginning of the year.

Liz Cass of Kristall Spaces says, “Our marketing experts analyse and compare data from different sources including Google’s real time search tools and we are seeing a healthy upsurge in online customer behaviour in the UK which mirrors the reaction to events in Europe such as quantitative easing to rescue flagging European economies.

“We’re also hearing from one or two savvy UK buyers wanting to secure an apartment at current rates with the uncertainty of an election coming closer. On the whole, they know they are getting a better return than buying in France or Switzerland and they particularly like the Austrian way of doing things.

“Our properties are typically managed by the original families who have been welcoming skiers to the area for generations. They really do understand the personal touch when it comes to service and looking after guests. You don’t always get that in ski resorts in other countries and for this reason customers like to come back to Austria time and again.”

Please contact Liz  today to find out about the different developments we are building in 2015 and selling directly to buyers without any sales agent fees.

The Central Bank of Switzerland recently ended its 3-year plan to cap exchange rate gains of the Swiss Franc versus the Euro resulting in an almost instant switch of customer demand from Swiss property and Swiss ski resorts in favour of Austrian destinations, for both Austrian property buyers and holidaymakers.

In the run-up to 15 January 2015, the SNB had pegged the Swiss currency to adhere to patterns in Euro behaviour but after several falls in the Euro, the Bank lifted the enforced exchange rate and allowed investors to pile in sending the currency up by as much as 30%.

The move has created a sizeable impact on the Swiss ski industry and overseas ski property investors looking for their dream alpine ski property.

Many buyers have been put off by the dramatic rise in property prices and are finding much better deals in markets like Austria which has always offered better value for money than the French or Swiss Alp resorts (grounds costs are lower and rental yields higher).

Moreover, the traditional Austrian atmosphere is another factor cited even by French and Swiss visitors to Austria thanks to many of the original local families still running their hotels and Gasthofs offering a level of personal service and hospitality seldom found in other European resorts.

Snowy view in Galtür today – the Türtschers will manage the Silva Peak Residences on behalf of owners.

A few other reasons for UK customers to choose Austria over France:

• 73% of Austrians speak English versus 39% of French;
• Average restaurant price in Austria – 40€ versus 50€ in France;
• The average price of a beer in Austria – 4€ versus 8€ in France;
• 1 minute of mobile phone usage costs 0.07€ in Austria versus 0.24€ in France.

The west of Austria woke on Thursday 23rd October to find that winter had arrived overnight, with torrential rain in low-lying areas, heavy snow higher up and disruption throughout Salzburg, Tirol, Vorarlberg, Upper Austria and Styria. Although the weather had been forecast, it seemed that few had prepared, and many motorists were caught with summer tyres still on their cars.

Flooding and avalanches

Both Salzburg and Upper Austria were hit by flooding, and the fire departments had their work cut out pumping out cellars, garages and underpasses.According to reports, 200 firefighters were deployed in Bad Ischgl alone, and 260 in Salzburg.

The mountains, of course, were hit by snowfall rather than rain, and many trees were brought down in Salzburg, Tirol and Voralberg, blocking mountain roads and passes and cutting off many communities. Snow was particularly heavy between 800 and 1100 metres, causing risks of avalanches, but it was also falling heavily at a lower level in Voralberg, particularly the Arlberg area, the Bregenz Forest, the Great Walsertal and Kleinwalsertal. Silvretta measured 80 cm of snowfall.

Road and rail chaos

Main roads were disrupted, too, including the Tauern motorway (A10) and the Faschinastrasse (L88). Quite apart from the snow itself, vehicles trying to get through with summer tyres became stuck, causing further blockages. The approaches to both the Tauern and Katschberg Tunnels were closed all morning before the jams could be cleared.

The railway line over the Arlberg in Tirol was blocked by fallen trees, and 300 metres of overhead lines were brought down between Bludenz and Landeck. The weather also caused power failures in Tirol, with up to 4300 homes without power at one stage.

A boost for winter sports

It wasn’t all gloom, though. In Styria, the snowfall brought the perfect start to the winter season in Ramsau am Dachstein and Schladming Planai. Many winter sports enthusiasts, including the Austrian biathlon and cross-country ski teams, took advantage of the thick virgin snow to start their training. By the time the season opened on the Planai on Saturday, a metre had been added to the snow.

Thursday morning was chaos in western Austria, but by the end of the day things were getting back to normal. With the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) forecasting more settled weather to follow, Austria can make the transition to winter in a more ordered fashion.

So you want a European skiing holiday — which country is the best choice? Switzerland is expensive, while Italy’s winter sports industry is a little less developed than its Alpine neighbours. So we’re left with Austria (especially the Tirol) and France (especially Savoie). How do they compare?

Access from the airports

Starting with how easy it is to get to the resorts and comparing those accessed from Innsbruck and from Geneva, Austria scores an immediate advantage. None of the major Savoie resorts is less than a two-hour journey, with many nearly three hours. By contrast, the furthest from Innsbruck is Kitzbühel at an hour and 15 minutes, while Kühtai is a mere 35 minutes away.

Resort height & length of season

Savoie has the edge on height, with Val Thorens at 2300m the highest in either region, though in Austria Hochgurgl and Kühtai are almost as high. However, the Tirolean resorts generally have longer seasons, with Hintertux open all year round. In fact, skiing is possible at some even out of season. Sölden is officially closed during June, July and August, but the powder snow on the glacier is often good enough for skiing in July. Skiing under blue summer skies can be an amazing experience.

Glaciers & ski lifts

Austria and France each have eight resorts with ski lifts over 3000m. However, in only two of the French resorts (Les Deux Alpes and Tignes) do these take you onto a glacier, while all but one of the Austrian resorts have glaciers.

Snow Parks

The ski slopes aren’t the only draw of Alpine resorts. Visitors wishing to enjoy the fresh air and breathtaking scenery of the mountains have 83 snow parks to choose from in Austria, compared with only 50 in France. The top five voted snow parks in the world are all in North America, but these are followed by Mayrhofen and Nordpark, both in the Tirol, with the top 10 completed by parks in New Zealand, Italy and Switzerland. None of the French snow parks figure at all.

Olympic Sports

Most Winter Olympic sports are available in both countries, though France doesn’t offer either ski-jumping or curling. Austria in general has a far more illustrious history in the Winter Olympics, having won almost twice as many medals as France. Certainly, as far as ski teams are concerned, the Austrians’ main rivalry is with the Swiss — the French team isn’t considered a big threat.

Prices

In general, most things are cheaper in Austria than in France, from mobile phone rates to a Big Mac. This is certainly true for the price of beer, with the far superior Austrian beers, such as Stiegl and Starkenberger, costing half the price. They tend not to give you hangovers, either — as long as you stay off the schnapps.

Add to this that 73% of Austrians speak English, compared with only 39% of French, and it’s clear that, while France scores in one or two respects, Austria offers a far better experience overall. Whether you’re just looking for a the holiday of a lifetime or for ski property for sale in Austria, the Tirolean resorts like Sölden and Kühtai are clearly the best in the Alps.