In a Europe marked by geopolitical uncertainty, it is rare to come across news of new investment in tourism infrastructure. However, a project has emerged from the Ukrainian Carpathians that goes beyond the realm of skiing.
The Ukrainian company OKKO Group, the developer of the future GORO Mountain Resort, has signed a contract with the Austrian company Doppelmayr Group, one of the world’s leading cable transport companies, to build Ukraine’s first single-cable gondola lift and, at the same time, the longest ever installed in the country.
The news could be interpreted as just another investment in the skiing industry. However, viewed from a broader perspective, it represents something far more significant: the desire to continue developing long-term projects in a country that is still grappling with the consequences of the war.
Ukraine’s first single-cable gondola lift
The future cable car will be approximately 2.8 kilometres long, will cover a vertical rise of around 550 metres and will be equipped with ten-seater cabins. It will have a capacity of 2,800 people per hour, making it the main access point to the future GORO Mountain Resort ski area. It is scheduled to open in 2027.
The facility forms part of the first phase, which also includes two modern detachable chairlifts, an artificial snow-making system providing full coverage of the slopes planned for this stage, a visitor centre and the project’s first hotel complexes.
But perhaps the most interesting aspect from the perspective of the mountain industry is that GORO was not conceived as a traditional ski resort. From the outset, the complex has been designed as a four-season mountain destination, following a trend that has been transforming numerous Alpine destinations for years.
Doppelmayr’s chief executive, Thomas Pichler, emphasises that the future of mountain resorts lies in operating all year round. As he explains, the cable car will not only be used to transport skiers during the winter, but also cyclists, hikers and visitors wishing to access viewpoints, footpaths and recreational activities during the rest of the year.
This philosophy ties in with a trend that I Love Ski has been analysing for some time: the growing need for ski resorts to diversify their activities and reduce their sole reliance on the winter season.
An investment on a massive scale
Furthermore, the GORO Mountain Resort project does not arise in a strategic vacuum. In the analysis published by I Love Ski on the Vanat 2026 report and the best global ski season in 25 years, reference was already made to the dynamism of Eastern Europe and, in particular, the development of Goro Mountain in western Ukraine as one of the projects set to compete with Bukovel, which has so far been Ukraine’s leading resort meeting international standards.
It is worth noting that the cable car is just one part of a much more ambitious project. The first phase of the development involves an estimated investment of 470 million euros, of which around 120 million will be allocated to mountain infrastructure and 350 million to hotel development through private investment.
In the long term, the complex anticipates a total investment of around 1,500 million dollars, spread over approximately fifteen years. When fully developed, the resort will cover around 1,200 hectares, feature 75 kilometres of slopes, 17 ski lifts, two cable cars, twenty-five hotels and thousands of accommodation places.
In terms of scale, the project aims to rank amongst the largest mountain tourism developments undertaken to date in Eastern Europe.
Confidence as an economic indicator
Beyond the figures, the contract signed with Doppelmayr holds significant symbolic value. The Austrian company has installed more than 15,800 cable transport systems in 98 countries, playing a part in some of the world’s largest ski areas. Its involvement in GORO is a sign of technical and commercial confidence in a project that began to take shape before the Russian invasion and which, despite the delays caused by the war, was never abandoned.
The works will be carried out in stages. The process begins with the dismantling of the existing infrastructure, followed by the construction of stations and pylons, the installation of the mechanical system and the laying of the cable, ahead of the commissioning scheduled for 2027.
Regional development amid great uncertainty
GORO Mountain Resort has also become one of the strategic tourism projects backed by the Ukrainian Government as part of its programme to support major investments.
This support does not mean that the State will fully fund the resort, but rather that it provides incentives to attract private investment, speed up infrastructure development and promote job creation in a region with a long-standing link to mountain tourism.
At the same time, the complex continues to develop the infrastructure required for its operation, such as a new electricity supply network valued at 11 million euros, which is essential to ensure the resort’s future operation.
At a time when much of the news about the country inevitably revolves around the conflict, this project serves as a reminder that the mountains remain an area of economic development, investment and long-term planning.
Whilst many European resorts are facing the challenge of reinventing themselves to operate year-round, GORO was founded with precisely that vision from the outset. This makes the project more than just a new ski resort: it is an example of how the mountain industry continues to look to the future, even in extraordinarily complex circumstances.
