The Swiss ski lift sector gives a mixed assessment of the 2024 summer season. Overall, the number of visitors fell by 7% compared to summer 2023 due to unstable weather, although with strong regional disparities.
After a rainy start to the season, the weather was sunny and warm from mid-July and into August, which led to a positive development in the number of visitors, the umbrella association Remontées Mécaniques Suisses said on Friday.
The months of September and October were again marked by precipitation and cold temperatures.
>> Read also: Saved at the last minute, the Télé-Dôle lifts aim for a “four seasons” adaptation
Decline from 2% to 11% in one year
For ski lifts which mainly focus on local customers, the decline in visitors reached 11% over one year. On the other hand, those which mainly welcome international customers or a mixed clientele only recorded a drop of 2%. Indeed, the weather only plays a secondary role for international customers, unlike the local population.
“Last summer shows how dependent the ski lift industry is on the weather,” underlines Benno Stoffel, director of Remontées Mécaniques Suisses, quoted in the press release. Many lifts have extended the season until the beginning of November: this flexibility, he believes, will play an ever greater role in the future.
Regional differences
At the regional level, trends have strengthened. The ski lifts of Ticino are the only ones to close positively (+2%), those of the Vaud and Friborg Alps are at the same level as the previous year, while Valais, the Bernese Oberland (-6% each) and the Central Switzerland (-8%) shows a decline. Eastern Switzerland and Graubünden are doing even worse (-16% and -18% respectively).
The sector notes, however, that in the longer term, the results of last summer are moderately positive. Compared to the five-year average, the number of first passages has in fact increased by 5%.
Thus, compared to the 5-year average, the number of visitors increased in almost all regions, except in Graubünden (-19%) and Eastern Switzerland (-9%). Growth rates vary from 8% in Ticino to 25% in central Switzerland. In Valais, the number of guests is at the same level as the five-year average.
>> To go further on “four seasons” tourism, read: Swiss tourism is focusing more and more on autumn, but above all attracting… the Swiss
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