In Praise of Small Ski Resorts

by admin in RSS Social News. Posted December 19, 2025

Lets hear it for small ski areas that are off the beaten track.

Despite economic, climate challenges and growing competition, smaller resorts offer a different experience:

Cheaper
More authentic
Family-friendly

Efforts should be made to secure their future.

The verdict comes in a study by Christoph Pachucki and Birgit Pikkemaat of the Institute of Management and Marketing at the Austrian university.

They say these resorts should be seen as cultural institutions that impact not only tourism but also the quality of life in Alpine regions in a sustainable way.

Small & family-friendly Muttereralm, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI

“They enhance social cohesion and contribute to regional identity by preserving traditions and strengthening local communities.

“While facing economic and environmental difficulties, their existence is primarily justified by their social benefits,” the study says.

PlanetSKI’s editor, James Cove, is currently skiing in Canada and whole-heartedly agrees with the report.

He has just visited the small resort of Mt Norquay, near Banff.

Mount Norquay, Banff. Image © PlanetSKI

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Mount Norquay: a few lifts, a handful of runs, empty pistes and fresh snow.

Mount Norquay, Banff. Image © PlanetSKI

Mount Norquay is where every local kid in Banff learnt to ski.

Some went on to be Olympians in skiing, snowboarding and ski jumping.

Mount Norquay, Banff. Image © PlanetSKI

There is still a local bus running on the hour to take people from Banff to Mt Norquay in the morning and then back again in the afternoon.

Mount Norquay, Banff. Image © PlanetSKI

It’s a 7-minute ride from town unless some goats appear on a bend and slow things down.

This is proper local skiing and a genuine honour to experience.

The Day Lodge is surprisingly good too.

The Austrian report says the consequences of climate change and a shortened snow season disproportionately affect small ski resorts at lower altitudes.

Artificial snowmaking and more investment in environmentally-friendly energy sources are costly and result in higher prices for skiers.

“Small ski resorts are particularly affected, as they face a competitive disadvantage compared to larger resorts with regard to supply factors such as kilometres of slopes, cable cars, or artificial snowmaking systems,” the researchers say.

“However, previous studies have shown that smaller ski resorts can compensate for this disadvantage or even use it as a competitive advantage through specific measures such as lower prices or a focus on particular target groups.

“Furthermore, scientific studies have found that smaller ski resorts are associated with positive attributes such as ‘authentic’, ‘family-friendly’, ‘safe’, or ‘less crowded’.”