Quebec Ski Areas Report Mixed Holiday Results For Opening Weeks But Optimism Remains For The Rest Of The Ski Season
Several ski enthusiasts were waiting for the first snowfall to do their first day of skiing at the resort. This weekend, snow finally arrived in the majority of areas and combatted the green lawn syndrome. Ski center operators noted that many snow sports enthusiasts chose to stay in town during the holidays due to the lack of snow in urban areas.
Indeed, the return of cold weather at the end of December fortunately allowed ski resorts to restart snow cannons and increase the ski area available to ski enthusiasts. With the combination of natural snow and manufactured snow, everything is now in place, according to the Association of Quebec Ski Resorts, for a successful ski season for ski center operators and their partners in the winter tourism industry . The heart of winter is only just beginning, while January and February represent more than 40% of overall ski resort traffic, says the ASSQ.
Preliminary holiday report
The holiday period usually represents between 15 and 20% of the season's overall traffic, reaching timidly 12% in 2022-2023. According to Environment Canada, the month of December was one of the least snowy in history across Quebec.
A significant drop in traffic - even reaching 50% compared to last winter in certain resorts - was noted, confirming the industry's challenges in being able to launch its season vigorously during the holiday season. The effect of massive investments in mechanical snowmaking was fortunately felt in several resorts which still managed to attract customers with their well-snowed slopes.
The Association highlights the exceptional work of the snowmaking and grooming teams who performed true miracles during the holiday season! Despite the lack of natural snow, the skiers and snowboarders present in the mountains showed their appreciation of the work accomplished by the mountain teams. “Ski resorts must continue to invest in snowmaking equipment in order to adapt to climate change and ensure their role as a winter tourism economic driver,” says Yves Juneau, president and CEO of the Association of Ski Resorts. skiing in Quebec.
Discounts on every outing
The recent snowfall means another piece of good news for the ASSQ. Sales of Ski Passe-Partout saw a meteoric rise over the last weekend. The Ski Passe-Partout, which offers discounts on each ski outing (in each ski resort, 5 times 30%) is sold on boutique.maneige.ski for $49.99 plus taxes. Sold in limited quantities, the snowfall means that there are now only a few units available on the market.
