The role of cable cars and ski lifts as key innovations in the evolution of winter tourism.

Abstract Besides being the crucial basic innovation for ski tourism, the technological progress through innovations in cable cars and surface lifts (CCSLs) also has had an important influence on the further development of ski tourism. The main aim of this chapter is to illustrate these influences in different development stages. The chapter frames CCSLs as innovations in tourism and then presents in more detail five developments of ski tourism as consequences of technological change. The final section sheds a light on the economic relevance of CCSLs.