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Visitors flock to Swiss ski resorts over Christmas and New Year

Skiers at the top of the La Berneuse mountain above Leysin in western Switzerland on December 26
Skiers at the top of the La Berneuse mountain above Leysin in western Switzerland on December 26 © KEYSTONE / JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT

Ski resorts have reported a busy period over Christmas and the New Year with numerous visitors enjoying the sunny weather and good snow conditions. 

The chic resort of Verbier in canton Valais registered over 20,000 skiers a day over the Christmas period, Laurent Vaucher, director of the Téléverbier lift company, told Keystone SDA on Wednesday. The number of visitors is up compared to 2018 thanks to the good weather and excellent snow, Vaucher said.

Officials in the Vaud Alps are also smiling. Pierre Besson, director of the Villars-Gryon-Diablerets lift company, said his resorts were almost full. The ski area welcomed 8,000 skiers a day compared to 1,500 a day during the same period last year, which suffered due to the Eleanor/Burglind storm.

Mountain resorts in German-speaking areas also reported strong results. Flumserberg in eastern Switzerland welcomed some 70,000 visitors during the Christmas week up to New Year’s Eve.   

In canton Graubünden, the number of ski lift passengers was up 5.5% compared the previous year, thanks to the good weather and state of the slopes. The Engadine-St Moritz ski area registered the highest regional increase – 10.6%. 

Hanspeter Wenger, managing director of the Meiringen-Hasliberg lift company in the Bernese Oberland, said he was “very, very satisfied” with the holiday business.

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