First snow creates anticipation for Christmas in ski tourism
Published: Friday, Nov 17th 2023, 10:31
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The Swiss ski season has already started in some places. While it is raining in the lowlands, the first snow is falling in the mountains. This is good news for mountain tourism, as the first highlight of the ski season will soon be upon us at Christmas.
Initial booking levels in the ski resorts also point to good Christmas business. This was revealed by a survey of ski resorts and tourism organizations conducted by the news agency AWP.
"We are expecting a good Christmas vacation", says a spokesperson for the Graubünden Tourism Association. The current level of bookings for the festive period is "good". In Valais, too, bookings for the winter and especially the Christmas holidays are "pleasing".
Winter business remains crucial
A lot is at stake for Swiss mountain tourism. Even if climate change is causing the industry to rethink and mountain destinations are increasingly focusing on summer and ultimately year-round tourism: Winter business and the festive season remain hugely important.
This is shown by the figures for Graubünden, for example. Around 70 percent of added value in tourism is generated in winter. The highest revenues are generated over the festive period and in the sports holiday month of February. Graubünden's mountain railroads even generate 92 percent of revenue from passenger transportation in winter.
"The best Christmas present would be a long winter with lots of snow and good weather," says a spokesperson for Andermatt Swiss Alps. The temperatures in the coming weeks and ultimately the weather over the festive period are crucial for a good winter season, according to the Graubünden Tourism Association.
Swiss guests decisive
The winter season is traditionally heavily dependent on Swiss guests. In Valais, they account for more than half. In the Jungfrau ski region, which relies heavily on long-distance markets in summer, the Swiss even account for around two thirds of all bookings in winter.
However, many are moving away again after the pandemic, as tourism experts complain. However, with the lifting of coronavirus restrictions, more foreign guests are returning. In Valais, for example, it is clear that the increase in bookings from guests from Europe and particularly the long-distance markets is fully compensating for the decline in Swiss guests.
However, bookings are also being made at increasingly short notice, as can be heard in many places. And this is particularly true for domestic tourists. Many Swiss people are therefore likely to decide at short notice how and where to spend their Christmas vacation depending on the weather.
Higher prices hardly slow things down
Meanwhile, higher prices only seem to be slowing down business to a limited extent. "Inflation certainly has an impact on consumer sentiment," says a spokesperson for Flims Laax Falera. However, this is more evident in local consumption and not in overnight tourism.
Vacation guests in this country generally have a high budget and are therefore less affected by inflation. "So far, there have been no noticeable effects," says a spokesperson for Titlis Bergbahnen.
In addition, inflation here is low compared to the eurozone. This is an advantage for local tourism, according to the spokesperson for Graubünden Tourism. Compared to other countries, and in particular its major competitor Austria, Swiss ski tourism is therefore doing quite well despite the strong franc.
Everything as always
So far, neither inflation, the strong franc, climate change nor the Swiss people's wanderlust following the pandemic seem to have had any impact on domestic winter tourism. The booking levels so far once again point to a successful Christmas season.
Ultimately, however, success depends on the weather and the snow. Or as a spokesperson for the Jungfrau Railway Group says: "The decisive factors for a good winter are the weather and well-prepared pistes." What this means for Swiss mountain tourism in the longer term remains to be seen.
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