Innsbruck, Austria (Monday, May 30, 2005) - The 9th International Congress for Transportation by Rope will be held at Congress Innsbruck in Austria, from September 27 to October 1, 2005. It is expected to attract some 800 visitors from the ski industry all over the world. All participating experts are operators and associates of the international rope transportation industry.

The preparations for the congress are well under way. A number of top-level international speakers will address the congress topic, “The future of ropeways”, from a technological, economic and global point of view. Each conference day is headed by a special topic: Trends and Lifestyle, Visions, Free topics, Syntheses.

Reinhold Messner's keynote speech is entitled, “The future developments in alpine tourism based on foreseeable trends and lifestyle.” Martin Lindstrom will reflect on “Youth-marketing in the future,” and Robert G. Cooper is concerned about “Future product development in tourism services.”

Another subject deals with the “Operation, construction and erection of the most interesting systems of ropeways at the present time – 4 operators discuss with 4 producers." “The ropeway of the future” presents visionary and innovative products and fields of application of ropeways. The keynote of Alexander Keul deals with the “Psychological aspects of visitor steering in ski areas”.

The participants can choose among 18 keynote speakers. The congress program will be supplemented by excursions, skiing, golfing, a city tour, a Tyrolean Evening, a Gala Evening and full-day tours to the South Tyrolean Treasures or a trip to Munich’s Oktoberfest.

This congress, which takes place only every six years, was last held in San Francisco. More information and registration may be found at www.oitaf2005.at.