Complicated results for Swiss ski lifts at the end of this summer. And, according to the umbrella of the branch, the culprit of this little disappointment is obvious: the weather. Indeed, after a rainy month of June, and declining attendance, the sun and heat returned from mid-July and August, a period during which the lifts worked well.
But, “the months of September and October were once again marked by precipitation and cold temperatures,” the Remontées Mécaniques Suisses (RMS) association communicated on Friday. Bottom line: “The number of visitors decreased by 7% compared to the previous year” during the period from May to October.
Graubünden (-18%) and Eastern Switzerland (-16%) were particularly affected by this drop in customers. Central Switzerland (-8%) and Valais (-6%) fared better, as did the Vaud and Friborg Alps, which closed the season with a record similar to that of 2023. Ticino, as for was the only region to do better than last year (+2%).
Note that the lifts focused on international customers suffered less severely (-2%) than those which mainly welcome Swiss (-11%). “The weather situation only plays a secondary role for international customers when they decide to go on mountain excursions, unlike the local population,” comments the umbrella organization.
