Skiing in Switzerland: strong franc enables big discounts

Skiing in Switzerland: strong franc enables big discounts

Because of strengthening of the Swiss franc against euro and dollar prices for holiday in Switzerland have significantly increased and many tourists prefer to visit less expensive resorts in French or Austrian Alps. To save potential customers many ski resorts in Switzerland reduced prices for accommodation and services.

According to the largest US research company Bloomberg, which experts conducted a study of the tourism market in Switzerland for 2011/2012 season, discounts at some resorts will be up to 40%. For example, at the Villars resort on weekdays you can buy lift pass with a 30% discount. From February luxurious St. Moritz offers discounts on accommodation, as well as training and instructor services. The popular Verbier resort does not offer discounts on ski passes, but offers more favorable exchange rate when buying a ski pass that allows visitors to save up to 20% cash. Free ski pass and accommodation will be provided for the children under 9 years, who will come with their parents to the Gstaad resort. Children under 14 years will receive a 40% discount.

Travel discounts are provided not only at Swiss ski resorts as most hotels on the shores of Lake Geneva will participate in the event "two nights for one price", which lasts until April 9. The same event will operate at the Interlaken district resorts until March 12.

Local restaurants also lowered their prices for the menu.

All these measures should reduce the outflow of tourists from the Swiss resorts as Switzerland has already lost more than 5% of tourists compared to the last winter season. The reason is anomalously warm weather, which made many ski resorts to opened with a month delay.

Ilya Kozlovskiy

Date: 30/01/2012