– Top-4 Skiabo – where are you going?
The Gstaader Bergbahnen will leave the Oberland subscription network and join the French discount offer Magic Pass in 2025. Why does this put the other big players under pressure?
Published: October 8, 2024, 8:29 p.m
The Saanersloch gondola in the Gstaad ski area: From summer 2025, Magic Pass clients will also be able to use these gondolas with their subscription.
Photo: Bruno Petroni
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This announcement really shakes up Bern’s winter sports landscape: the Gstaader Bergbahnen are turning away from the top 4 subscription network after the coming winter seasonin order to seek salvation in the Magic Pass, in direct competition. The giant subscription Top 4 was launched in 2017 together with the Jungfrau Ski Region, Adelboden-Lenk and Meiringen-Hasliberg.
It may be surprising that the luxury destination, which was the first Oberland region to introduce dynamic prices four years ago, is joining the inexpensive all-year-round subscription. But only at first glance. From now on, Gstaad will once again be connected to its glacier ski area in Les Diablerets. The Saanenland region of western Switzerland is also where the prosperous Magic Pass has its roots, not only geographically closer than the Jungfrau region or the Oberhasli.
But above all, the people of Gstaad hope that… Schönrieder Horneggli faces major investments stand, better numbers again – thanks to more families as well as holiday and day guests. On the one hand, this is intended to support the growing Magic Pass network. And on the other hand, the move away from dynamic day ticket prices. Anyone who decides to hit the slopes in the high season when the weather is nice and doesn’t have a season ticket will no longer be penalized at the ticket office.
This is exactly what one day guest felt like last winter in the Adelboden-Lenk ski region, where now also on this Modell Dynamic Pricing is sometimes offended. Because the dynamic ticket price only felt like it was moving in one direction. Uphill. In this area, Gstaad’s departure is likely to be particularly painful because Zweisimmen, the gateway to the Saanenland, is only a few kilometers away from the Lenk.
Whether the Top 4 subscription will shrink to a Top 3 or whether the giant network will one day even disappear is anyone’s guess today. What is clear, however, is that the announcement from Gstaad will also strengthen the position of 26 small and medium-sized Bernese ski areas that are already participating in the Magic Pass. While the situation for the large mountain railways at the foot of Wildstrubel, Jungfrau and Hasliberg is not exactly getting any easier.
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Jürg Spielmann is an editor and writes primarily about the Spiez/Niedersimmental region. As day-to-day manager, he designs the digital channel and print edition and reports from World Cup slopes or open-air stages. He is a member of the Tamedia-wide news preparation network.More info
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