According to the 18th edition of the International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism, presented by Laurent Vanat at the Mountain Planet exhibition in Grenoble, the 2024/25 season was the busiest in history. With 399 million skier visits recorded globally, the industry has officially moved past the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw a 50% decline in visitation during the 2020/21 winter.
The report highlights that the industry is no longer defined by its vulnerability to climate change, but rather by its operational resilience. Despite several regions experiencing below-average natural snowfall—particularly in Europe—resorts maintained or increased their visitor numbers. This shift is largely attributed to extensive snowmaking infrastructure and more efficient management strategies, which have decoupled visitor demand from the unpredictability of natural snowfall.
Key market performances show a diverse recovery. China continues to lead in growth, performing well above its pre-pandemic averages for the second consecutive year. Italy, the United States, and Russia have also shown sustained positive momentum. Conversely, Germany and Japan face ongoing challenges, with both nations struggling to regain the visitor levels they enjoyed prior to 2019.
While the overall outlook is positive, the report identifies emerging friction points. The season-pass model, which has driven demand for years, appears to be hitting an inflection point in the United States. Furthermore, many resorts are seeing window ticket prices rise faster than actual revenue per skier, leading to a decrease in overall yield. Despite these economic nuances, the global ski infrastructure remains stable, with no significant decline in the number of operational lifts worldwide.
