Excellent Start To Summer For Swiss Lift Co’s

The start of the 2023 summer season was more than successful for the Swiss cable car companies. Both the number of guests and the turnover are significantly higher than the results of the last few years. This is shown by the summer season monitoring data for May and June from the Swiss Cable Car Industry Association (SBS).

As part of the summer season monitoring, Swiss cableways analyzed the number of guests and the turnover for the passenger transport of 60 members from all over Switzerland in the summer season. The figures for the start of the season in May and June have now been evaluated in order to identify the first trends for the summer season, which is becoming increasingly important. The results make it clear that the cable car companies had an excellent start to the summer. Compared to the previous year, the number of guests (first-time visitors) increased by 16% and sales rose by 19% (Fig. 1). "Hiking and outdoor activities are becoming increasingly popular in Switzerland, which is why the Swiss mountain railways are able to attract more and more guests, even in the warm season, thanks to the adapted offer," says Berno Stoffel,

In addition, the summer season monitoring makes interesting differences between the different regions clear. The greatest increase in guests was in the Bernese Oberland (+26%), Central Switzerland (+25%) and Valais (+20%), but the numbers are also pleasing in the Vaud and Friborg Alps. What is particularly exciting here is that the increase in guests also affects regions that were primarily geared towards winter tourism in the past. In contrast, the number of guests in Graubünden, Eastern Switzerland and Ticino fell slightly.

Start of summer far above the 5-year average

A look at the 5-year average is even more pleasing for the Swiss ropeway industry. Compared to the data for the last five years, the number of guests using the cable cars in Switzerland as a whole has increased by more than a third (Fig. 2). All regions analyzed show a significant increase here, with the greatest increase being in the Vaud and Friborg Alps (+67%) and in Valais (+55%). «The positive results confirm that the Swiss mountain railways are on the right track. They are increasingly focusing on year-round operation and, thanks to the excellent infrastructure, enable visitors to have impressive moments in the mountains even in summer,” Stoffel concludes.