Global Ski Industry Shows Resilience in Post-Pandemic Season

Ski Industry Bounces Back with Strong Global Performance

The 17th edition of the International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism provides a comprehensive analysis of the 2023/24 ski season worldwide. With over 366 million skier visits recorded, the report indicates a healthy ski industry for the third consecutive year. This figure surpasses the average visits of pre-Covid years, suggesting a robust recovery from the pandemic's impact.

The 2023/24 season was characterised as 'Business as Usual', reflecting a return to normalcy for ski resorts globally. Laurent Vanat, an international consultant with expertise in Alpine tourism, authored the report, offering insights into the industry's current state and future outlook.

The report highlights varying performances across different countries, largely influenced by weather and snow conditions. China led the recovery, exceeding its pre-COVID 5-year average, while the USA, Italy, Scandinavia, and Russia also showed strong results. However, France and Austria are still in the process of full recovery, and Japan and Germany experienced historically low visitation levels.

Despite these disparities, the overall global picture remains positive, with gains in some regions balancing out losses in others. The report emphasises that while climate change impacts ski resort operations, it has not significantly affected global visit numbers thus far.

Ski resorts are actively addressing climate change challenges. US ski areas are focusing on optimising snowmaking and resource use, while French resorts aim for carbon neutrality by 2037, implementing innovations such as hydrogen-powered grooming equipment. Advanced climate modelling, like CLIMSNOW in France and similar projects in Switzerland, is helping resorts plan for future snow conditions and adapt their infrastructure accordingly.

The report identifies 68 countries worldwide offering equipped outdoor ski areas, with approximately 2,000 ski resorts in total. Beyond the major ski destinations, emerging markets in Eastern Europe and China are noted, along with smaller players across the globe including Cyprus, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Lesotho, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and Turkey.

Verbier in Switzerland and Ski Welt in Tirol, Austria, are among the resorts mentioned in the report. These locations, like many others, are adapting to changing conditions and implementing strategies to ensure long-term sustainability. The efforts of these ski resorts, combined with industry-wide initiatives, aim to maintain the resilience of the ski industry in the face of ongoing challenges such as climate change and varying economic conditions.

The International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism continues to serve as a benchmark publication for the snowsports industry, providing valuable data and insights for stakeholders across the global ski sector.