Swiss Lift Co’s - Good Start To The March Holidays

Due to the late Easter, the sports holidays fall in March this year in many regions. Industry-internal estimates that this year's February would fall short of the good February of the previous year have not been confirmed: February 2025 saw 7% more guest numbers than the same month in the previous year. If you include the unusual start to the season, the increase is as much as 9%. Smaller companies in particular have benefited above average.

For seasonal monitoring, the Swiss Cable Car Industry Association (SBS) evaluates the number of guests (first-time entries) of over 120 members from all over Switzerland. The figures now available allow an analysis from the start of the winter season to the end of February. Winter got off to a good start in mid-November, Christmas and New Year were very well attended, and the weather in January was changeable. The industry was eagerly awaiting developments in February. Since Easter 2025 is late, the sports holidays in many regions of Switzerland do not take place until March, so expectations for guest numbers in February were less high.

The cable car industry is pleased with the good February, which – viewed in isolation – has 7% more guests than February 2024. Looking at the figures from the start of the season to the end of February, 9% more guest frequencies were recorded at the Swiss level as a whole.

Lower-lying regions benefit

A look at the regions shows that all regions were able to maintain or improve on the good results of the same period last year. The Vaud and Fribourg Alps (+25%), Central Switzerland (+21%), Eastern Switzerland (+16%) and Ticino (+11%) recorded double-digit growth rates. The development in these lower regions is particularly encouraging and shows that guests really appreciate these areas with good snow and slope conditions. The Bernese Oberland (+9%), Valais (+5%) and Graubünden (+1%) also showed positive values.

Small and medium-sized enterprises as winners

A further analysis shows that smaller companies (up to CHF 2 million passenger traffic revenue) had on average 23% more guests than in the same period, medium-sized companies (CHF 2-10 million) recorded 15% more guests, while large companies (over CHF 10 million) were able to welcome 5% more guests.

"Smaller ski areas prove that they can offer guests an attractive range of services. The smaller and often lower-lying ski areas therefore make an important contribution to promoting young talent," says Berno Stoffel, Director of Seilbahnen Schweiz.

comparison with the 5-year average

The cable car industry is pleased that the season so far has been successful, even compared to the five-year average. The number of first-time entrants rose by 17% compared to the five-year average. Here, too, the growth rates vary, ranging from 30% in Ticino to 10% in Graubünden.

The industry is looking forward to the important month of March, in which sports holidays are still taking place in some regions this year. The current good weather and snow conditions with the many events in March along the slopes are making the industry feel positive.