A dream start to the season for mountain railways – but guests’ demands are increasing: “You can’t afford that anymore today”

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“The start was very good,” Berno Stoffel, director of the Swiss Cable Car Association, said in an interview with the AWP news agency. The recent snowfall in the plains has been of great help. Because this would make the townspeople want to ski.

An example of this is the Andermatt-Sedrun ski area: Marketing manager Pascal Schär said that at the season opener a week ago – driven by the wonderful winter weather – there were twice as many people on the ski slopes as usual on a busy day.

High demand since mid-October

Stoffel, director of the cable car association, said there was overall optimism in the Swiss winter tourism industry: bookings and pre-sales were good. “We have experienced a strong increase in demand since mid-October.” The weather changed at that time and the demand increased from then on.

According to a trend study conducted in the sector, the marketing organization Swiss Tourism also expects strong holidays. Mountain accommodation providers are expecting 3.5 per cent year-on-year growth for Christmas and New Year.

“It is noteworthy that the booking level for holidays in the mountains is currently ‘only’ 1 percent higher than last year. This shows that many accommodation providers in the mountains are still relying on short-term bookings for holidays, despite already very good bookings,” says Switzerland Tourism.

Winter wonderland instead of a green Christmas

The snow and weather conditions at Christmas last year were not ideal. “That’s why we hope to get a plus this year,” says Josianne Karlen from the Valais tourism organization Heidadorf Visperterminen.

After last winter there was a lack of snow and the strips of white pistes on green mountain slopes made headlines, this winter the situation is completely different: right at the beginning of the season there was a winter wonderland atmosphere in bright sunshine.

Although it snows a lot, this winter cannot be done without artificial snow. Despite natural snow, you definitely need a technical snow base, says Daniel Meyer, head of snowmaking at Andermatt-Sedrun Sport AG. Because the slopes are supposed to last until April.

Artificial snow is still a must

«A slope consisting of pure natural snow, not covered with snow, will not last even in winter. Because it’s basically softer,” Meyer said. However, the guests have different demands than 10 years ago. Guests don’t want any bumps on the natural snow slope at noon, Meyer said.

Stoffel, director of the cable car association, said today’s carved skis also need a base other than pure natural snow. “There are much more forces at work: cornering pressure and centrifugal forces are much higher and need to be absorbed.” This requires a suitable snow consistency.

Meyer explained that natural snow traps much more air. Half a meter of natural snow creates a surface of approximately 10 centimeters on the slopes. Less dense snow would quickly be lifted off the piste by skiers and pushed into the valley.

«In the evening a dense slope breaks. The snow has fallen and needs to be pushed back up,” Meyer said. Technical snow is also more resistant to high temperatures or rain. When it rains, natural snow disappears quickly.

Higher standards than ten years ago

Bergbahnen Association director Stoffel said that snow reliability and the quality of the tracks are among the guests’ criteria: “People want a perfectly prepared track from the first day to the last day.”

15-20 years ago, there were occasional stones on the slopes on the first day, and on the last day, the slopes were not in that good condition anymore. “At that time, people accepted it. “The guest doesn’t want this anymore,” Stoffel said. In the past, black slopes were repaired only every two to three days, Meyer said. “You can’t afford that anymore today.”

Patrizio Laudonia, the Swiss boss of Technoalpin in South Tyrol, the world’s largest manufacturer of snowmaking systems, said snow cannons are insurance for ski areas. Starting from late autumn, the slopes can be prepared with technical snow in order to be ready for the start of the season and the important Christmas event. Because, Laudonia said, “You never know how much natural snow will come.”

Daily cost 250,000 francs

Technoalpin Switzerland sales manager Martin Hofer said that if the important Christmas business failed due to lack of snow, the season was already over. Because then the sector makes more than a quarter of the turnover.

Additionally, according to the cable car association, it is possible to extend the season with technical snowmaking. Just over half of Switzerland’s 22,500 hectares of slopes can be covered with snow.

But technical snowmaking is not cheap. In a major ski region, where mountain railways generate annual revenues of 25 million francs, an average working day costs 250,000 francs.

According to the cable car association, 43,000 francs of this amount goes to snowmaking, which is about the same price as preparing the slopes. These are the second and third most expensive items after the operation of the systems (120,000 francs). (sak/SDA)

Source :Blick