Where to Ski And Snowboard - The Jump brings Kühtai to fame

The Jump brings Kühtai to fame

3rd February 2014, by Abi Butcher

Celebrity winter sports TV show The Jump is set in Kühtai

Tour operators are reporting a rise in interest for Austrian resorts — especially Kühtai — following the celebrity winter sports television programme The Jump.

The Channel 4 programme — described as a mash-up of Ski Sunday and Big Brother — is set in the tiny Austrian resort that now finds itself the centre of attention for the British market.

Louise Newton from the tour operator Inghams told Where to Ski and Snowboard that it has noticed a 12 per cent jump in web traffic for Kühtai.

“Newcomers to ski are daring to pick up the phone for the first time and asking about the pretty resorts in Austria,” said Louise, marketing manager for Inghams.

“Kühtai is a brilliant place to start to ski. Baby slopes are close to the village, the slopes are relatively uncrowded and the well-organised ski school will assist with getting to grips with the sport without a fuss.”

Kühtai sits at 2,020m and has 44km of pistes. WTSS co-editor Dave Watts visits the pretty Austrian resort every year for the ski industry’s annual ski test. He will be there later this month for the 2014 test, but read his blog from last year by clicking here.

This morning, Sir Steve Redgrave pulled out of tonight’s live final of The Jump as a result of injuries he sustained while training for the Skier Cross last week. Currently leading the programme, the five-time Olympic gold medallist and BASI ski instructor was the favourite to win.

TV presenter Melinda Messenger, Flash Gordon star Sam Jones and socialite Henry Conway have already quit due to injury — and it is currently unclear weather comedian Marcus Brigstocke will take part in tonight’s live final after he “popped” a knee during training.