Snow at the end of March and in April brought new momentum to cable cars in higher altitude areas.
Keystone
In the winter season up to the end of April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
The snow in November followed by conditions over Christmas, the New Year and in January laid a strong foundation for operations, the Swiss cable car association said on Wednesday.
While warm weather in February and March affected lower-lying ski resorts, snow at the end of March and in April brought new momentum to higher altitude areas.
According to the association, there were major regional differences in fortunes, depending on weather conditions. The mountains around Fribourg, with their medium-altitude ski areas, recorded a 31% drop in visitors, while the Jura mountain range saw a 26% drop. Eastern Switzerland recorded the greatest growth at 9%. The season in the southern canton of Ticino was saved by the snow in March, meaning that the decline was only 1%.
In terms of company size, larger cable car operators with a turnover of over CHF20 million ($22 million) grew more strongly than smaller ones. Their number of guests rose by 5%, while companies with a turnover of less than CHF2 million fell by 35%. However, the larger companies are also at higher altitudes, the association explained.
Adapted from German by DeepL/dkk/dos
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