The Alps are one of the most popular travel destinations in the world. As the study “The Future of Winter Travelling in the Alps” shows, every seventh hotel room within the European Union is booked in the mountains. In total, Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland record around 386 million overnight stays in the Alpine region each year, for which 7.5 million beds are available. Winter tourism accounts for a 43.3% share of this.

While tourism destinations are all different and compete with one another – similar challenges are nevertheless emerging across all countries: climate change is causing precarious snow conditions in low-lying regions, with many places investing in technical snow-making equipment as a result. At the same time, the traditional winter season is becoming less significant, and its market share is declining. While Switzerland recorded 29.3 million first-time admissions to ski lifts in the 2008/09 season, this figure declined almost continuously to 25.4 million in 2021/22. This is confirmed by the latest figures for the Swiss cable car industry.

Networking, promoting, driving
Many destinations and regions are aware of this fact and are doing a lot to adapt their tourist offers and become a year-round destination. For example, cultural events in the low season can attract more guests, as can special culinary events or attractive excursion packages. For this to succeed, all the stakeholders and top performers need to work well together. This is where local tourism organisations can step in as intermediaries and promote innovations and novelties in a targeted manner. At the same time, it is important to bolster the winter season with fresh ideas and more varied offerings.

Switzerland Tourism ST also provides valuable impetus in this regard, ensures nationwide networking and serves as an innovation and economic driver. Under the auspices of ST, for example, the new “snow25” and “sleep25” offers were created: For 25 francs, young people could buy an afternoon ski pass including travel from their place of residence to the region in question. An overnight stay including breakfast in a youth hostel cost the same amount.

The destinations, in turn, are increasingly joining forces and working together – for example, the 50 areas in the Bernese Oberland, Valais and Western Switzerland that offer the “Magic Pass”, which includes 1,375 kilometres of slopes, 19 snow parks, 100 mountain restaurants and two revolving restaurants, over 1,000 kilometres of mountain bike trails, plus hiking trails, excursion destinations for families and thermal baths. In the 2021/22 season, 141,000 mountain sports enthusiasts made the most of this offer, which represents a 27.6% increase compared with the previous year.

More offers for different target groups
Dynamic pricing, on the other hand, has hardly evolved at all: “While some cable cars have switched to this model, others have already abandoned it again,” says Berno Stoffel, Director of Seilbahnen Schweiz (Cableways Switzerland). Depending on the positioning and guest structure of the destination, this topic becomes more or less relevant. “It’s always about the fundamental question of the average price per entry to the ski area that you’re aiming for.” This determines whether or not the pricing system is suitable.

The time when winter sports exclusively consisted of skiing and snowboarding is long gone. The tourist offering in the mountains is becoming more and more diverse – and thus appeals to even more target groups. ST also considers guests from countries that do not have a tradition of snow sports, as well as the changes that climate change will inevitably bring. It’s all about having fun, recharging your batteries in the great outdoors and spending time with friends and family. That’s why ever broader winter offers are emerging, such as night-time hikes under a full moon, igloo hotels or the Fondue Experience.

The winter season will probably be shorter and drier in the future. ST CEO Martin Nydegger estimates that, in a few years, the month of November will be considered to be part of autumn rather than winter: “So areas at lower elevations in particular will have to provide more and more offerings that offer an alternative to the traditional snow sports experience, such as hiking, biking, and culinary and wellness experiences.” This shift in thinking has already occurred in many places. This was evident, for example, in the 2020/2021 winter campaign “My First Time”, which showcased the diverse range of off-piste offerings available.

Good communication in difficult times
“Recent studies indicate that mountain railways in Switzerland were able to increase market share by 6% during the pandemic, at the expense of the market share of ski resorts in Austria,” says Berno Stoffel. He refers to the figures of the market analysis “Skiers in the D-A-CH area” by Manova/Klaus Grabler, which was carried out in August and September 2022.

The mountain railways have also prepared themselves for the impending energy crisis. Since the summer of 2022, close communications have been maintained with experts in order to realistically assess the situation. Many companies have optimised their energy consumption, rely on renewable energy or operate their own power stations, the director added: “Our research shows that many mountain railways have addressed this issue at an early stage and professionally and have purchased electricity for 2023 in good time – in these cases, the increase in electricity prices does not have such a drastic effect.” In addition, the industry is working with a jointly developed catalogue of measures that shows further potential for savings. Thanks to a simulation tool, the savings can actually be measured, meaning the railways can better prepare for various scenarios.