Successful positioning as a year-round destination in close cooperation with Sunkid

The OBERSTDORF - KLEINWALSERTAL BERGBAHNEN are a diverse destination for nature lovers, adventurers and sports enthusiasts. In the middle of it all lies the Söllereck. It is THE family mountain in the Allgäu - 365 days a year. In an interview, the CEO of Oberstdorfer Bergbahn AG Henrik Volpert explains how the positioning as a year-round destination was created.

Mr. Volpert, what were or are your goals at Söllereck?

The focus at Söllereck is particularly on offers and experiences for the multigenerational family. In 2016, we started an extensive strategy and development process. The goal of Oberstdorfer Bergbahn AG is to position Söllereck as the leading family and year-round mountain in the region.

What operational measures have you put in place to ensure that Söllereck is perceived as a year-round mountain?

Our goal was to have a suitable highlight on offer for every member of the family all year round. In summer, we have upgraded the valley and mountain station areas with attractive recreation and play areas. In the foreground, of course, is the SölliBully, the high-quality Sunkid wooden piste bully for climbing and exploring. Or the nature discovery trail with its interactive installations that appeal to a wide age group. We also made sure that the play installations work in summer and winter. Last year, we added "Sölli's ball race," which we designed together with Sunkid. Probably the longest Wooden Ball Tracks in the world runs from the mountain station to the valley station of the Söllereckbahn and has become a real showpiece.

And how have the investments in the summer paid off?

We are very satisfied with the development in summer, the number of guests has been unbroken so far. Sölli's ball race has far exceeded our expectations and is scoring particularly well with local families.

After the strong investments in summer, our focus is now back on winter with new investments and product improvements. This begins with the new Sunkid Person Conveyor Belt, which "picks up" our guests directly at the parking lot and continues in "Söllis Winterwelt", the open children's and beginners' area. There, various Moving Carpet and a monster course ensure that the first steps in the snow are now even more fun. However, with Sunkid we have not only successfully implemented the beginners' area, but are also currently developing our new adventure slope "Söllis Zauberwald", which will be opened in 2019 together with a new snow-making system.