Head of the Flims-Laax ski area "In ten years, a day ticket will cost 200 to 300 francs"
Ski pass prices could cost up to 300 francs in the next ten years. That's according to Reto Gurtner, head of the Weisse Arena Flims-Laax. His statement is controversial.
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- "Dynamic pricing" is established in Swiss ski resorts, with factors such as demand and weather influencing prices.
- Reto Gurtner, head of the Weisse Arena Flims-Laax, predicts a sharp rise in prices over the next ten years with day ticket prices of up to 300 francs.
- Experts disagree with Gurtner's assessment, with more moderate price increases and the influence of climate change expected.
Dynamic pricing is already common practice in Swiss ski resorts. Similar to flights or hotel reservations, factors such as demand or weather are decisive for price increases. If you book your ski ticket early, you usually get away cheaper.
In expensive ski resorts such as Flims-Laax, St. Moritz or Zermatt, prices of 100 francs or more for a day ticket are already common. According to Reto Gurtner, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Delegate of the Weisse Arena Group in the Flims-Laax ski resort, this is still too cheap: "Skiing is far too cheap today," he says in the "50:50" program on Rhaeto-Romanic television RTR and Südostschweiz.
Gurtner expects prices to rise significantly in the coming years: "In ten years' time, a day ticket in Laax will cost between 200 and 300 francs."
Gurtner cites inflation as the reason for this. In addition, the rush to areas that are guaranteed to have snow in the future will increase. There will also be enough people who want to afford skiing in the future.
Experts disagree
Berno Stoffel, Director of Seilbahnen Schweiz, does not believe that Gurtner's forecasts will come true. "I don't think it's realistic to expect prices to double or triple," Stoffel tells SRF, adding that growth has averaged 15 percent over the last ten years, "and we think that will continue."
According to Christian Lässer, Professor of Business Administration with a focus on tourism at the University of St. Gallen, climate change will ensure that there will be fewer ski resorts in the medium term. In 20 to 30 years, "ski resorts at higher altitudes will be able to benefit from climate change - as cynical as that may sound", Lässer is quoted as saying by SRF.
Because the investment costs for mountain businesses will also increase, Lässer says that peak prices of 200 francs for a day ticket are not unrealistic.