Swiss ski resorts full of confidence for Christmas
Published: Monday, Dec 16th 2024, 12:20
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The snow in November caused euphoria in Switzerland as a skiing destination. The high spirits are likely to have faded somewhat as the temperatures warm up again. Nevertheless, many ski resorts have already opened and are looking forward to the upcoming Christmas season with confidence.
This was revealed by a survey of mountain railroads and tourism associations conducted by the news agency AWP. Thanks to good booking levels, concerns such as the ever decreasing number of snow days are receding into the background for the time being.
The tourism experts also do not believe that constantly rising prices are jeopardizing skiing as a popular sport. They see the often criticized dynamic price models in particular as an answer to how the average Swiss family can continue to afford skiing vacations.
November snow as a "maker of glorious snow"
"The winter season has got off to a good start," says a spokesperson for Graubünden Tourism. "And bookings for the Christmas vacations are very good." According to a survey by the industry association Hotelleriesuisse, they are up on the previous year in practically all of Graubünden.
The snow in November was the best "glutschtigmacher" for ski vacations, according to reports from Valais. Despite the return of warmer temperatures, almost 90 percent of the tourism professionals surveyed expect to match or even exceed the "strong booking figures" of the previous year for the Christmas period.
The importance of Christmas business for ski resorts can hardly be overestimated. "The Christmas period marks the start of the busiest phase of the winter season," says a spokesperson for Flims-Laax. Many guests use the festive period for vacations, which leads to high occupancy rates in accommodation and restaurants.
A spokesperson for the Titlis mountain railroads also emphasizes the "great economic importance" of Christmas business for the mountain railroads, but also for restaurants and accommodation. Yet it is precisely the Swiss who generate turnover. According to the Swiss Cableways Association (SBS), they accounted for 63% of guests last winter.
"Skiing remains a popular sport"
However, ski vacations in Switzerland are becoming increasingly expensive. The news agency AWP therefore wanted to know from tourism representatives: Can the average Swiss family still afford ski vacations in Switzerland?
The average price for a day's skiing in Switzerland has risen by 15 percent in the last ten years, says SBS Director Berno Stoffel. And for the 2024/25 winter season, the large resorts have increased prices by around 1 percent. For the medium-sized resorts, the figure is 2 to 3 percent.
This is "well accepted" by guests. Stoffel is therefore convinced: "Skiing remains an affordable popular sport." However, he also points out that skiing vacations in smaller resorts and in the off-season are considerably cheaper. Abroad, for example in Austria, the price increases are greater than in Switzerland.
However, the local ski resorts also see dynamic price models as an answer for less affluent guests. The topic is polarizing, says the spokesperson for the Titlis mountain railroads. But a family can ski more cheaply than before if they book their ski passes early enough.
Stoffel also sees the dynamic prices as an advantage for early bookers. However, most medium-sized and small ski resorts are still using the classic model.
Ever shorter winters
At the same time, winter sports in Switzerland are increasingly threatened by climate change. Ski resorts below 1500 meters are particularly affected.
But even in areas where snow is guaranteed, winters are getting shorter. "The winter seasons often start later due to the mild temperatures," said the spokesperson for Flims-Laax, for example. This makes technical snowmaking all the more important.
According to SBS Director Stoffel, 54 percent of Swiss slopes currently have artificial snow and are therefore snow-sure. And this proportion is set to increase in the future.
Meanwhile, lower-lying areas without snowmaking are increasingly entering into partnerships with higher-lying ski areas. "In addition, many are increasingly focusing on alternative offers such as hiking or 'fun sports', wellness or cultural offers and are expanding their summer and fall offers," says Stoffel. However, these alternative offers will never bring as many people to the mountains as skiing.
Reduce CO2 emissions
Stoffel goes on to say that it is of course in the interests of ski tourism, which is particularly affected by the climate crisis, to support climate protection and adapt its own actions. The tourism industry sees the greatest potential for reducing CO2 emissions when it comes to travel. In order to encourage guests to give up their cars, tourism regions are therefore relying on promotions in cooperation with SBB.
However, the savings potential in Swiss winter tourism is limited: By far the greatest emissions in tourism are caused by long-distance air travel. For example, CO2 emissions from a trip to the Maldives are significantly higher than from a week's skiing in Switzerland.
The Titlis spokesperson draws a pointed comparison: while snowmaking throughout Switzerland causes around 3,000 tons of CO2 emissions in one winter, Taylor Swift's private jet emitted 8,300 tons of CO2 during 170 take-offs and landings from January to July 2022.
©Keystone/SDA
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