Difficult September For Swiss Lift Co's

In general, summer business is growing for Swiss lift co's. However, viewed individually, summer 2024 remains very mixed. The start was marked by storms with heavy rain and was therefore below average, while August was able to make up for some of the missing guest numbers. September was rainy, which - viewed in isolation - makes it the weakest month of this summer: in September, 18% fewer guests traveled on mountain railways than in September 2023. On a five-year average, however, the current summer is still 8% up.

For the summer season monitoring, the Swiss Cable Car Industry Association evaluates the number of guests (first-time entries) in the summer season from over 100 members from all over Switzerland. The figures now available allow an analysis from the start of the season to September. The weather is very important for the success of the mountain railways, especially in early and late summer. The start of the season was cool and rainy, the weather improved from mid-July, followed by a beautiful and hot August. September, on the other hand, was largely rainy.

Guest origin: lift co's with mainly domestic guests are losing

Mountain railways that primarily cater to domestic guests recorded a decline of 7% in the comparable period (start of the season to September), while those that primarily cater to international guests or a balanced mix of guests remained at the same level as last year. It turns out that for international guests, the weather situation is much less important for trips to the mountains.

Regional differences

Looking back at the summer season up to September, there are regional differences. The mountain railways in the Vaud and Fribourg Alps are doing well (+1%), Ticino is at the same level as last year, and the Bernese Oberland is slightly below (-1%). While Valais (-3%) and Central Switzerland (-5%) are down by a single-digit percentage compared to last year, Eastern Switzerland and Graubünden are doing even worse (-11% and -12% respectively) (see Figure 1).

comparison with the 5-year average

The comparison with the 5-year average is positive for the cable car industry. Across Switzerland, 8% more guests travelled on the cable cars this year. Compared to the average of the last five years, the number of guests has increased in almost all regions, except in Graubünden and Eastern Switzerland. The growth rates vary. They range from one percent in Valais to 25 percent in Central Switzerland. Eastern Switzerland has 8% fewer visitors compared to the average of the last five years, and in Graubünden it is 16% fewer (see Fig. 2).

"The mountain railways have been investing in a good summer product for years. Good access to public transport as well as the panorama and attractions on the mountain are key factors for success. The cable cars are constantly in demand depending on the weather, but this is compensated for in the long term by periods of good weather," concludes Berno Stoffel, Director of Cable Cars Switzerland.