Austria’s cable car owners have invested over 523 million euros in 2006 to provide winter sports enthusiasts with the latest technology. A further 266 million euros have been invested in safety and comfort on the pistes, car parks, restaurants, piste equipment and shuttle services. Projections for the next decade are for several billion euros of meaningful investment.

The general development of winter sport in Austria complements the Salzburg 2014 bid well, with perfect existing venues that are always up to date with the latest technology, along with an enormous amount of experience in looking after millions of people and well-proven organisational procedures for major sporting events. Further investment reaching into the billions is also planned by 2015 for the transport infrastructure in order to optimise transport routes.

Gernot Leitner, Games Plan Director of Salzburg 2014 said: “In 1995, Salzburg first entertained the idea of an Olympic bid. Since then, almost all the transport infrastructure requirements for hosting the Winter Olympics have been met, with the expansion of the airport and of the road and rail networks. Above all, Salzburg 2014 has been helped enormously by the fact that the private sector, consisting of hundreds of small and medium-sized enterprises, has also recognised the way the wind is blowing at an early stage and has ensured that its ski resorts and venues are always up to date with the latest technology. Our “snow region” is a region that has grown. Many people live there and they do everything possible to ensure that their home and their primary source of income, tourism, are brought together in perfect harmony; to achieve comfort and perfection not just for guests but for themselves too. The result is Austria’s famous hospitality – the long-standing tradition of making all our guests feel at home straight away.”