“New scenarios for applying technologies and electro-magnetic ticketing in skiing areas”
Prof. Enzo Schiavuta, University of Padova

In the period between the end of 2004 and the beginning of 2005 Dolomiti Superski has put into operation the Edelweiß project, a new skipass system based on hands-free access control technologies and on a high-tech wireless network system.
Besides, starting from the third quarter of 2004, the electronic technologies are quickly evolving towards a new generation of advanced electronic products that will result into very high level innovative applications, with valuable advantages for the entire tourism development and particularly for the alpine tourism.
Taking these circumstances into consideration, the speech is split in two parts. In the first one the main concepts of the Edelweiß project will be exposed, from a innovation point of view and looking at the effects the project can have for new skipass systems; furthermore the high level of customer acceptance/satisfaction will be discussed.
Considering the high success at a customer level of the Edelweiß project and others similar initiatives in different alpine ski areas,  the growing internationalization and integration of the tourism market, the capabilities offered by the new technologies, the second part of the speech will illustrate some potential innovations resulting from new payment systems.
These innovations on the whole will be included in a development program, sinergically agreed between Dolomiti Superski and the Edelweiß project-group, named ‘Informed Tourism’, in order to highlight the integrated use of Information, Access Control and Advanced Communication Technologies.
It will be discussed: (Sec. I) general targets of the program, oriented to provide always more attractive tourist-services for the ski sector and other related markets; (Sec. II) main innovative contents of the offer of advanced services and improved management in terms of functionalities and efficiency.
Besides, it will be briefly illustrated (Sec. III) the role played by the new technologies in reaching the targets.
Finally (Sec. IV) the HIGH-TECH provided opportunities of collaboration among operators, even at an international level, will be highlighted, in order to ease the identification of synergetic actions for the ski-operators community.