It’s been almost a year since the last major snowflake landed on the mountain and this year is looking to continue the trend of consecutive summer seasons. That means the ski resorts are in for a very long and hot summer which will have serious effects on their businesses. And with the cancellation of the Winter X Games, it’s the perfect time for a long vacation.
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A Changing Of The Seasons
Since the 1800s, resorts have been built on a timetable that skips only four seasons: winter, summer, spring, and autumn. The advent of artificial snow, air-conditioning, and polyurethane skis has changed all that. The resorts can now stay open all year round, which has caused many to close up shop and head for the beaches.
The most famous example of this is Santa Monica, where the last ski run was operated in April 2019. Between 2009 and 2021 the resort lost more than 300 days of ski activity due to the pandemic. Even now, 18 months after the last ski resort closed, the chairlift still hasn’t been removed due to beach access issues.
Since then, many other resorts have followed suit. Canada’s Banff National Park saw its last chairlift powered by an internal combustion engine close in March 2021 and will remain closed until the summer of 2022. According to the resort’s general manager, Bill MacIntyre, there’s simply no demand for a winter holiday to the Rockies anymore.
Another example is Alberta’s Paradise Valley, which saw only 29,000 visitors in 2020-19, a 72% decrease from the previous year. In early April, the resort closed down their tubing park and Big Sky, the neighbouring resort, decided to close down a few of their trails. Not even one-and-a-half years after the last major snowfall, the chairlift is still shut down at Paradise Valley.
In the UK, the last major ski resort, Blackpool, saw the number of daytrippers, which account for 80% of its revenue, drop by 69% in the six months to December 2019. More recently, the UK’s Cheltenham saw a 26% drop in visitor numbers in the October-December 2019 period, compared to the same months a year earlier. It’s the same story across the continent: the resorts are full, there’s no empty chair at the top of the mountain, and everyone is looking for a holiday.
The Effect On The Resorts’ Economies
It isn’t only about a changing of the seasons that has seen many a resort close their doors. The pandemic, too, has played its part in the demise of many a ski mountain. Despite the fact that resorts have been open all year round since the 1800s, they’ve never actually been 100% open. Before the pandemic, some of the resorts would probably close in the autumn, winter, and spring to limit the number of people visiting and potentially spreading the virus. Especially in the winter, when it’s below zero degrees in Sweden and Finland, it’s not very appealing to go skiing.
However, the pandemic has made it possible for ski resorts to stay open all year round. Even before the pandemic there was a seasonal element to the business. In summer, people wanted to go to the beach and soak up some of the Mediterranean Sea’s warm weather. In winter, people wanted to be indoors, staying warm and cosy, so the resorts restricted their activities to a few frosty slopes. This meant there was always a drop-off in activity during the summer months.
Now, with no sign of a let-up in the trend of unseasonable warm weather, resorts aren’t just reliant on the number of people who want to ski every year anymore. They need to find an alternative means of income. And that, as we’ve established, is hot summer days. On the weekend of 9 July 2021, Bad Tastiessen, a small town in Germany’s Black Forest, hosted its first ever beer festival in the snow. Over 300 beers were available for purchase and over 20 food trucks served up international cuisines.
This, however, is not a trend that can be sustained for long. In a world first, La Thuile in France opened a 2.9km ski run exclusively for sea turtles, as part of a reforestation project. Nestled within the majestic Mont Blanc, the snow park was designed to give the endangered species a safe place to lay eggs. After the park’s construction in 2010, the number of sea turtle nests doubled and since then, the park’s land area has expanded to accommodate more nests. But the warmer the climate, the more it jeopardises the survival of these gentle creatures. If global warming is not treated with the utmost seriousness, then perhaps it’s time for the ski industry to shift gears and look for ways to conserve energy and reduce its carbon footprint. Maybe introduce a green initiative? Start a reforestation project? Or is the only option left to close down the mountain?
No Place Like Home
There’s also the effect on the resorts’ employees. Since ski resorts are generally small businesses, dependent on the seasonal nature of the industry, any decline in visitors and revenue has a knock-on effect on the number of jobs available. Normally, the resort would close in the summer to give the employees some time off, but now, with no sign of a let-up in the trend of warm weather, that won’t be possible. Especially as many resorts can’t afford to pay for their employees’ time off during the season. That’s why many resorts have opened up their accommodation, dining, and entertainment options to try and make the most of those long, hot summer days. Even for a while, at least. Some of the smaller, independent resorts, especially in Europe, have tried to buck the trend by staying open during the summer months. But that comes at a price. Their key employees, particularly those in customer-facing roles, normally have to work very long hours to make up for the lack of visitors. It’s a double-edged sword: while it’s great to have no restrictions on where you can travel to and stay, it doesn’t exactly help the local economy when there are no tourists and no money.
Peak Seasonality
Another factor in the decline of ski resorts is the increase in popularity of the parallel ski trail. While the snowflake as we know it may be a thing of the past, snowboarding and freeride skiing are here to stay. The former provides the opportunity to have a complete ski run without having to spend a penny on lift tickets and the latter allows for more versatile snow play. That’s what the mainstream, and in some cases, the professional, ski industry is banking on: the changing face of skiing and the rise of the intermediate.
As mentioned, the pandemic has made it possible to have a summer season without any restrictions. However, it’s not only about COVID-19. The increase in popularity of e-biking and hiking have made it possible to have a summer season without leaving the house. And with more people spending their time within the house, it’s the perfect opportunity for the entertainment industry to shine.
What we’re seeing, then, is a complete disruption of the traditional winter holiday. People are no longer wanting to spend their time inside playing cards or watching TV. They want to get out there and about, explore the world of tourism, and visit the places that they’ve always dreamed of.
This being said, whether we like it or not, there’s still a place where the cold winters still reign supreme and that’s up on the mountain. Far from being a thing of the past, the snowflake as we know it may well be a thing of the future. Let’s just hope that the effects of climate change don’t render it completely obsolete.