Swiss Ski Resorts Are Changing
The publication lists five main changes underway.
See here for the full article on SwissInfo, and we summarise it below.
- Ski resorts are changing ownership
Swiss ski resorts are mainly owned by cable car and lift companies, in which local communities often hold a stake but do not have majority control.
In autumn 2025, the municipalities of Flims, Laax and Falera, in the canton of Graubünden, made headlines when they banded together to buy their ski area, “Weisse Arena”.
Vail Resorts from the United States, the world’s largest ski resort operator, has set its sights on the Alps.
It has already acquired the ski lifts of Crans-Montana and Andermatt-Sedrun.
Crans Montana – photo c/o Snow Camp
The company often focuses on sites with development potential where lifts, accommodation and leisure facilities can be combined into one huge resort.
The presence of these new investors is changing the character of the mountain regions.
In Saas Fee, the Austrian Schrocknadel family holds a majority stake in the ski resort, as well as several properties.
Like Weisse Arena other Swiss ski resorts are also rallying to prevent foreign takeover.
The cable car and lift company in Lenzerheide, in the canton of Graubünden, has adopted a structure with over 3,500 shareholders, in which the municipality holds almost half of the shares.
- Higher-altitude resorts are expanding their infrastructure
As a rule of thumb, a slope must have 30cm of snow cover for 100 days for it to be worth grooming and operating.
The best conditions are at altitude.
High-altitude ski resorts are therefore replacing old lifts with modern facilities and renovating restaurants.
Saas Fee has renovated the world’s highest funicular railway to the Mittelallalin at almost 3,500m.
The cable car to Mürren in the Bernese Oberland has been modernised, at a cost of CHF130 million;
CHF80 million has been invested in new gondolas in the Flims Laax Falera ski area.
Verbier has replaced the lift to the Savoleyres area with Zermatt continuing its investment in the lift system.
INew lift for Savoleyres, Verbier. mage c/o Televerbier
- Ski resorts are joining forces
Some Swiss ski resorts are banding together to share the costs.
Larger, interconnected ski areas offer winter sports enthusiasts more kilometres of slopes, more restaurant facilities and more different activities.
The operators can share the costs and organise their marketing and ticketing jointly.
Well-known interconnected ski regions include Arosa-Lenzerheide in the canton of Graubünden and Les Portes du Soleil in the canton of Valais.
In the latter, skiers can even cross the border and ski in France.
The most recent merger involved ski resorts in three different valleys across two cantons.
The Anedermatt-Sedrun ski area was complete in autumn 2018, with Disentis joining six months later.
New cable cars and restaurants were built at high altitude to connect the resorts via the Oberalp Pass.
Huge sums were also invested in snow farming and snowmaking.
Portes du Soleil. Image © PlanetSKI
- Ski resorts are focusing on activities that require less snow
Especially at lower altitudes, ski regions are trying to create activiitd beyond tradsional winter sport offerings.
They require less snow and less costly maintenance.
Some ski resorts have specialised in snowshoeing or winter hiking.
The Stockhornbahn near Thun has turned its back on ski tourism entirely.
The same goes for Monte Tamaro in Ticino and the Les Paccots region in the canton of Fribourg.
With a more sustainable approach to tourism, these regions are seeking to attract those who want to travel off the beaten path, as well as groups such as older people, foreign visitors and those without skiing experience.
Although winter is the most lucrative season, mountain destinations and tourism associations are trying to entice tourists all year round.
They are offering yoga retreats, mountain bike holidays and culinary hotspots.
Climate change may be a curse for winter, but autumn has received an upgrade.
Swiss Tourism is promoting the country in the autumn through advertising spots with celebrities such as Roger Federer and Halle Berry.
Hiking holidays are now possible into November.
- Ski resorts are closing
Most of the ski resorts mentioned in this article are large and extend well above the critical altitude of 1,600m.
In such places, it is worth investing in the future.
Lower down the situation is different.
Owing to chronic lack of snow, dozens of ski resorts in Switzerland have ceased operations, while others are on the verge of doing so.
Many of these are village lifts that used to operate regularly, but now there is not enough snow.
The online news portal Watson counts 167 areas that have shut down.
After closure comes the problem of dismantling the infrastructure.
This usually costs huge sums of money, which in many cases no one is able or willing to pay.
As we said earlier this article is just a shorted summary, do read the full and fascinating article on SwissInfo.
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