US Skiers Hit the Alps in Big Numbers

American skiers are crossing the Atlantic in unprecedented numbers, with official tourism data confirming double-digit growth across all major Alpine nations during winter 2024-25.

• Switzerland recorded a 13.4% increase in American overnight stays,
• Austria saw US visitors jump 15.4% to nearly one million stays,
• France reported American visitor numbers up 10.6%.

Winter 2025-26 is on course to break records again.

“It was a rock solid good year. For America we had an amazing record,” said Martin Nydegger, Director of Switzerland Tourism, commenting on figures that saw US overnight stays reach 1.7m during the winter season alone.

The surge appears driven by a stark price disparity that makes transatlantic travel look increasingly sensible.

According to new research by UK ski specialist SNO Ski Holidays, walk-up lift tickets at major US resorts now dwarf European equivalents.

• Deer Valley charges $366 per day compared to €85 ($100) at St Anton
• Vail’s $322 daily ticket is more than three times the €86 ($101) charged at Les 3 Vallées.

“American skiers are doing the maths,” says Richard Sinclair of SNO Ski Holidays.

“When your lift ticket is $320 a day at Vail but you can get a week’s package vacation in the Alps for less than that per day, including flights, accommodation, and lift pass, it’s no wonder snow lovers are crossing the Atlantic.”

See more from UK ski specialist SNO Ski Holidays

Beyond Price, Europe Offers Alpine Culture and Sheer Scale

The appeal extends beyond economics.

European terrain dwarfs American competition, with Les 3 Vallées offering 600km of pistes is roughly four to six times more terrain than the largest US resorts.

The interconnected nature of Alpine skiing allows visitors to ski across multiple villages, even crossing international borders, on a single pass.

A reviewer from SKI Magazine revealed what Americans who head to Europe experience, noting cultural differences and observing that Alpine dining “blows American ski lunches to pieces” with sit-down mountain restaurants replacing the cafeteria-style approach common in the US.

The après-ski tradition also draws American visitors who have heard of fabled ribaldry at the end of the skiing day.

VinePair’s Adam Teeter described a scene in Zermatt where “the music is pumping, turned up to maximum volume… The scene recalls the rowdiest nightclubs of Barcelona when the hour nears 3 a.m. Only, rather than 3 a.m. in Barcelona, it’s 3 p.m. in Zermatt.”

Ski Pass Integration Has Opened Doors

The expansion of multi-resort passes has made European skiing more accessible to American pass holders.

Epic Pass now includes 34 European resorts including Verbier and Les 3 Vallées, while Ikon Pass covers 24 Alpine destinations including Chamonix, Zermatt, and Dolomiti Superski.

Dolomiti Superski reported a 30% year-on-year increase to 12,350 Ikon Pass customers by mid-season last winter.

“It looks like joining Ikon Pass was a great chance for Dolomiti Superski to conquer the hearts of North American skiers,” said Diego Clara, PR representative for the Italian ski consortium.

Switzerland Tourism reports that Zermatt recorded approximately 50,000 Ikon-related skier-days in recent seasons, with the US now the resort’s second most important market with around 20% of skiers visiting Zermatt now American.

The Canada Factor

The trend has been amplified by what some are calling the “Trump Effect” on Canadian skiers.

Domaines Skiables de France reported Canadian visitors up 21.3%, with Isabelle Rapisarda of Jungfrau Region Tourism noting: “We are seeing renewed interest from Canadian visitors.

“Scarred by tensions between the two countries, they are avoiding destinations in the US in favour of Europe and Switzerland.”

Is This A More Structural Shift?

Industry analyst Laurent Vanat, author of the International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism, observed that the “decline of the number of skiers on the Western market did not really happen as expected, with ageing baby-boomers keeping on skiing.”

What the data now reveals is where they’re choosing to ski, and Europe is winning.

The 2024-25 US ski season recorded 61.5 million skier visits according to the National Ski Areas Association, yet overcrowding at major resorts has pushed some Americans to seek alternatives.

Telluride now requires advance reservations for Epic Pass holders and limits their access to seven days.

With European resorts continuing to invest in infrastructure and international marketing while American lift ticket prices climb, the transatlantic trend shows no sign of reversing.

See here for more: https://www.sno.co.uk/blog/americans-swap-ski-vacations-for-ski-holidays-in-europe-alps/

PlanetSKI: Number 1 for digital ski news

Your digital platform for ski news, resort information, travel, equipment rental, sport, money saving deals and everything connected with snowsports – web site, social media & more.

The post US Skiers Hit the Alps in Big Numbers appeared first on PlanetSKI.