Very good start to the season for Swiss ski lifts

Swiss ski lifts are smiling. They're off to a very good start to the summer season, the umbrella association RMS announced on Wednesday. This is thanks to a very sunny, warm, and dry June.

This beautiful weather has encouraged many Swiss and foreign guests to take day trips during this period. Overall, the months of May and June saw a 24% increase in visitors compared to last year, when June was particularly marked by bad weather in the mountains.

But these positive results are primarily due to Swiss visitors: their attendance increased by 30% in May and June. And in Graubünden, this figure even exploded by 63%! International visitors are not far behind. Their attendance increased by 19% compared to 2024.

The start of the season was also positive in most regions: ski lifts in the Vaud and Fribourg Alps recorded the strongest growth, with an increase of 56%. This was followed by Eastern Switzerland with 29%, Valais and Graubünden with 26% each, Central Switzerland with 24%, and the Bernese Oberland with 20%. In Ticino, the increase was only moderate (3%).

Compared to the five-year average (which, however, includes the two Covid years), overall attendance is up 56%. But the Vaud and Fribourg Alps also stand out, with a 93% increase, far ahead of Central Switzerland and the Oberland.

It's worth noting that last winter's season was already exceptionally good, with an 11% increase in attendance, making it the best of the decade. The resorts in the Vaud and Fribourg Alps were the ones that had already experienced the biggest boom in visitors (+31%).