Slalom premiere in Gurgl generates high added value and a lot of attention
After the Austrian triple triumph at the first Alpine Ski World Cup men's slalom in Ötztal, the organizers are also taking stock of the economic success. The added value generated by the sports event is estimated at 1.8 million Euros. Added to this is the attention made by the media and online presence for the start of the winter season in Gurgl. On Austrian television, around half a million viewers watched the slalom race action on Kirchenkar slope.
The work and commitment of the past few months have been worth it. Alban Scheiber, project manager of the World Cup in Gurgl, looks back with satisfaction on the successful debut as a venue for the first FIS men's slalom of this season. “Thanks to the fabulous images we were able to present ourselves brilliantly and convey the message that nothing stands in the way of a winter holiday in the Alps. We are of course hoping for a great winter season,” Scheiber explains. The foundation was already laid with this premiere race. The added value generated during the entire event weekend alone is estimated at 1.8 million Euros. It includes also overnight stays as well as expenses by day visitors on site, for example in the restaurants and catering businesses.
Gurgl slalom as ratings hit
Gurgl is also a winner when it comes to the hard currency of attention which is reflected in the TV ratings. The final manche with the three Austrians Manuel Feller, Marco Schwarz and Michael Matt on the podium was watched by up to 562,000 people, a number that corresponds to a market share of 50 percent. The percentage was similarly high in Switzerland, where a market share of almost 47% was achieved. In addition to TV channels from the DACH region, Italy and Scandinavia, the pan-European sports channel Eurosport also included Ötztal’s slalom action in its program.
Arousing online interest
The effects of a major sporting event are also clearly shown by the number of website visits. While Gurgl's online presence attracts an average of up to 7,000 visitors per day, this number multiplied to an impressive 31,000 website hits on the day of the race. The same applies to social media response. Almost 390,000 people were reached via Instagram and Facebook and over 16,000 interactions were recorded. Thanks to popular Dave Ryding, the only British winner in the Alpine Ski World Cup to date, Gurgl also has a sporting influencer in the important English target market. The athlete shared his immediate impressions of the World Cup premiere in his Austrian home base with his followers, creating huge interest for skiing and winter holidays. Local hero Fabio Gstrein from Sölden, who finished 8th in his home race in Gurgl, also earned a lot of applause with a top 10 result.
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Ötztal Tourismus
PR & Media
ANNA PIRCHER
anna.pircher@oetztal.com
T +43 (0) 57200 935
