Austria mountain tourism sees growth in summer and early ski season

The Austrian mountain tourism sector is seeing positive trends across both summer and winter seasons. A survey of 39 experts from 84 member companies of the ‘Best Austrian Summer Mountain Railways’ indicates a successful midpoint for the 2026 summer season. Approximately 87% of these businesses reported an increase in visitor numbers compared to the previous year, with satisfaction ratings averaging 4.3 out of 5 points.

High temperatures during the summer have acted as a driver for tourism, with 71% of businesses noting that heatwaves positively influenced visitor numbers as people sought the mountains as a summer retreat.

Simultaneously, the 2026/2027 Austrian ski season has commenced with the opening of the Pitztaler Gletscher. On September 26, 2026, the resort opened two specific runs: the black piste 26 Wildspitz and the red piste 29 Downhill. Due to warm early-autumn weather, current operations are limited to daily runs until 13:00 to protect the snow surface. Further terrain openings will depend on natural snowfall and temperature drops.