This year you’ll have to dig deeper into your pockets for a ski holiday than last season. Families are hit particularly hard: a family of four will pay a third more for a week of skiing vacation in Switzerland at the beginning of February 2024. This is shown by a study by Bank Cler in cooperation with the economic research institute BAK Economics. Jürg Stettler, tourism expert at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences, is also observing this development.
SRF: How long can an average family in Switzerland afford to go on a skiing holiday?
Jürg Stettler: It’s already too expensive for many people today. Of course, you increasingly ask yourself whether you still want to afford it. In the past you had no other option, today you have alternatives.
What alternatives are there?
A trend that has been going on for a long time is that people don’t ski during their snow sports holidays, but rather do other sports: snowshoeing, snow hiking, sledging. So you can avoid the price development to a certain extent, but as soon as you need the transport facilities to get to the mountain, you will also be affected by the higher prices.
Why is skiing becoming more and more expensive?
The costs of preparing the ski slopes accordingly are becoming ever greater. This is a consequence of climate change. Today it can be assumed that a ski area below 2000 meters above sea level no longer functions without snowmaking. In addition, the transport systems are being renovated. There used to be simple ski lifts in many places. Today it is usually fast chairlifts and powerful cable cars that are comparatively more expensive.
Many ski resorts have introduced dynamic prices. On certain days tickets cost more, on others they cost less. Are they a benefit for skiers or are they adding to the problem?
For people on a tight budget, dynamic pricing is an advantage when booking early. The mountain railways have succeeded in transferring the weather risk to the skiers. Previously you could book at short notice, depending on the weather and snow. You can still do that, but booking at short notice has become more expensive due to dynamic prices, especially in high season. This is unfortunate for families with children who are time constrained due to the school holidays.
What about overnight stays?
Prices for overnight stays have also increased. Hotels have had dynamic prices for a long time. But it’s the same thing here: those who are tied to the school holidays pay more.
Are fewer people actually going on ski holidays today than 20 years ago?
The number of skiers has not decreased significantly in the last 20 years. But people go skiing less often. This has to do with the fact that fewer and fewer people own their own ski equipment. If you have to rent your equipment every time, each day of skiing becomes more expensive. You can also see developments in the season ticket. Today there are more ski areas that offer a discounted season ticket. Then you tend to go skiing more often, also because you can be more spontaneous. But you have to be able to afford it.
How do you think ski tourism will develop in Switzerland?
The forecasts show that if global warming continues, it will become more and more difficult for ski areas to keep snow guaranteed. In the long term, skiing will become a leisure activity that fewer and fewer people can afford.
The interview was conducted by Sandro Morof. Collaboration with Lisa Wickart.