The winter season is over – but for mountain railroads, the strategically decisive phase begins right now: actively retaining winter guests and bringing them back as summer guests. Digital loyalty systems make this possible. They extend the relationship with the guest beyond the season, create real added value and position the mountain railroad as a modern year-round destination.
The mountain railroad takes guests to the summit – a loyalty system brings them back
The demand is there: according to the latest flash survey by the Austrian Cable Car Association, 75 percent of mountain railroads in Austria recorded an increase in guest numbers in summer 2024 compared to the previous year and a growing focus on spring and autumn. 87 percent of businesses now see these transitional periods as strategically important pillars of their business model. Those who create precise offers today benefit from better capacity utilization all year round. The reason? More and more operators are using digital incentives to keep winter guests active during the summer months. It’s not about discounts – it’s about smart guest loyalty programs, points systems and targeted marketing campaigns that encourage repeat bookings.
The most important advantages
- Making day guests visible: via QR codes on invoices or tickets
- Create repeat customers: through points, rewards and exclusive benefits
- Generate more sales: through rewards, experience packages and up-/cross-selling
- Promote gamification & interaction: through check-ins, challenges or photo competitions at POIs
- Points as a means of payment: redeemable online or on site
- Automated marketing: thanks to data-driven insights into guest behavior
PDF Download: Factsheet incert guest loyalty system for mountain railroads
Day visitors leave hardly any data behind – how can this gap be closed?
But especially in the summer season, many mountain railroads face a problem: day visitors leave hardly any data behind. In contrast to winter, where ski passes contribute to registration, there is often no direct access to customer data in summer. This is where digital loyalty systems and applications come in – and close this gap in a simple way: Guests can register via QR code on tickets or restaurant bills, without any app or login hurdle. This turns the anonymous day guest into an identifiable point of contact – ideal for targeted marketing, personalized offers and long-term loyalty.
More loyalty – more sales
A loyalty system not only helps with data collection, but also with increasing sales. Collecting points for purchases, recommendations or check-ins at certain locations creates incentives to return – especially if rewards and experience benefits are tailored precisely to the target group. Particularly effective is the combination with a ticket system for combined summer offers, e.g. a ride up and down the mountain and gastronomy, which not only offer the opportunity to upsell experiences and culinary delights on the mountain: Valuable guest data is also generated, which can be used in the loyalty system to build loyalty.
The example of Silvretta Montafon shows what this looks like in practice – with a digital voucher and ticket store that sets standards.
Know your guests, address them specifically – and retain them in the long term
Digital guest loyalty does not end with collecting points – it begins with understanding the individual guest. The more you know about guests’ behavior, preferences and touchpoints, the better you can target them: personally, contextually and along the entire traveler journey – from initial inspiration to return and beyond. The basis for this is a centrally maintained Golden Record – a complete, cross-system guest data profile. This creates opportunities for personalized communication via mailings, website, customer account, newsletter or messenger services such as WhatsApp.
Personalized content for a better guest experience
With targeted content personalization on the website – directly in the page flow or above-the-page – and automated campaigns via other channels such as social media or apps, every interaction becomes more relevant. The display of exclusive offers such as Secret Experiences can also be data-based – trackable, measurable and continuously optimizable. Supplemented by AI-supported content and processes, the guest experience becomes an individual communication process. This not only creates loyalty, but also accompanies guests in a meaningful and sustainable way – across the website, store and all digital contact points.
Partner for mountain railroads
This turns a digital loyalty program into more than just a loyalty tool: it becomes a strategic communication hub – a system that not only rewards guests, but also continuously accompanies, inspires and informs them. We are experts in this field and implement digital projects relating to loyalty, personalization, communication and customer experience individually for mountain railroads – competently, networked and with vision.
Curious about what digital guest loyalty looks like in practice?
Discover the Schladming-Dachstein Bonus Club as a best-practice example of modern loyalty management and see for yourself how guests become loyal regular customers.
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