Ten Surprising Facts About the Ski Industry

[marzNC]

The original source is a 100-page report written by a Swiss man for all countries with any ski area. He's been writing an annual comprehensive report for several years based on whatever statistics he can find. The graphs in the report are for the last ten years. The target audience seems to be people who own and run ski resorts. He started by looking at Switzerland only, then kept adding countries. Fun reading but much more detailed about Europe. Turns out you can ski in Iceland and Armenia, as well as a lot of other small countries that a ski tourist is unlikely to consider.

 

[Skisailor]

Oooh! You can ski in Iceland?

Iceland has been on my bucket list forever. But I didn't know I could SKI there! Now it just got moved up a couple of notches!

 

[Jilly]

You can ski in Newfoundland too! Marble mountain is a great place!

 

[Skisailor]

You can ski in Newfoundland too! Marble mountain is a great place!

Hmm . . Gros Morne N.P. is also on my bucket list! Might have to head up to Newfoundland sooner than I thought as well!

 

[Jilly]

We'll hit that one together girl!! Right after Tremblant!!

 

[Skisailor]

That would be awesome!

 

[marzNC]

Oooh! You can ski in Iceland?

Iceland has been on my bucket list forever. But I didn't know I could SKI there! Now it just got moved up a couple of notches!

Looks like there are two ski areas, with mostly easier terrain because the mountains on Iceland aren't very high. Still, would be quite fun!

 

[marzNC]

Oooh! You can ski in Iceland?

Iceland has been on my bucket list forever. But I didn't know I could SKI there! Now it just got moved up a couple of notches!

This looks like lots of fun. Heli skiing in Iceland.

 

[Skisailor]

OMG!

Bucket List!!!!

Wonder how much ##? . . . . heli skiing and Iceland are both expensive propositions. But putting them together? Still . . seems like something worth saving for!

 

[marzNC]

I found this online and thought it was interesting:

#1. La Plagne is the world’s most popular ski resort with over 2.5 million skier visits per year.​

#2. 48 ski resorts recive over 1 million skier visits per season.
#3. There are 2,106 established ski areas.
#4. 48% of ski areas are located within Europe.
#5. 75% of the world top 50 ski areas are located in the Alps.
#6. Japan has 547 ski areas.
#7. Whistler is North America’s most popular ski resort but only 9th worldwide.
#8. Breckenridge is the United States most visited ski resort.
#9. There are approximately 400 million skier visits worldwide per year.
#10. As of March 2013 there are 26,764 ski lifts in the world.

The original source is a 100-page report written by a Swiss man for all countries with any ski area. He's been writing an annual comprehensive report for several years based on whatever statistics he can find. The graphs in the report are for the last ten years. The target audience seems to be people who own and run ski resorts. He started by looking at Switzerland only, then kept adding countries. Fun reading but much more detailed about Europe. Turns out you can ski in Iceland and Armenia, as well as a lot of other small countries that a ski tourist is unlikely to consider.

The 2014 version of the report is available. The sections before the country details are the most interesting. Learned that there is a group working to develop a glacier into a year round ski resort in BC, Canada. I noticed this time that each annual report is not just a minor update to the previous one. It's actually a new look at the situation, which in some cases means different conclusions because better data was available.

I was surprised at the top three countries in terms of the most ski resorts (>4 lifts) and most "foreign" tourists.

 

[Albertan ski girl]

@Skisailor If you haven't seen the last Warren Miller movie, Ticket to Ride, go check it out. There's an amazing segment about skiing in Iceland! It was my favourite part of the movie. Huge glaciers descending into the ocean!

 

[Mrs Hutchins]

@marzNC- thanks for posting that link! I plan on reading it in more detail later this afternoon by the pool. It's 90 degrees here, today.

...is it winter yet?

 

[marzNC]

@marzNC- thanks for posting that link! I plan on reading it in more detail later this afternoon by the pool. It's 90 degrees here, today.

...is it winter yet?

Haha! High was 97 in NC yesterday and about the same today. It's going to "cool down" to 90 tomorrow.

 

[marzNC]

Oooh! You can ski in Iceland?

Iceland has been on my bucket list forever. But I didn't know I could SKI there! Now it just got moved up a couple of notches!

Recently enjoyed photos of Iceland in May/June 2015 in a trip report that includes hiking to waterfalls and heli skiing. A couple ski days finished almost at midnight taking advantage of being so far north.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

My friend just got back from a trip to iceland and while her visit didn't include skiing in any way the pictures alone made one want to go there. Its simply gorgeous.

 

[snow addict]

I was in Iceland in September 1999. I think it's time for another visit...