Ski Resort Economics: Skier Days, Lift Capacity, Snowmaking & Pass Pricing
Run the numbers of a fictional Alpine resort: skier days and season length, lift capacity in VTM per hour and comfortable carrying capacity, ticket yield of day tickets vs season passes, pass break-even and price tiers, snowmaking water and energy, ancillary spend per skier day, weather scenarios with a season P&L chart and the payback of a new chairlift: 8 graded labs with illustrative numbers.
The first lesson is free — no account needed.
About this course
A ski resort economics course that runs one fictional Alpine resort, Valcresta, through a season in a spreadsheet, for resort managers and staff, mountain tourism students, investors and analysts. You turn operating days into skier days by month and the season length, calculate lift capacity in people and vertical transport metres per hour and the comfortable carrying capacity, compare the ticket yield of day tickets and season passes, find the visits that make each pass tier pay and the price actually realised, convert slope area into snowmaking water, energy and cost per skier day, measure ski school, rental and food and beverage profit per skier day, build a season P&L for four weather scenarios with a chart, and work out EBITDA per skier day and the payback and NPV of a new chairlift. Fictional resort, illustrative numbers. The first lab is free.
Lessons
- Skier Days by Month & Season LengthFree
- Lift Capacity: People per Hour, VTM & Comfortable Carrying Capacity Pro
- Lift Ticket Yield: Day Tickets vs Season Passes Pro
- Season-Pass Break-Even Visits & Dynamic Pricing Tiers Pro
- Snowmaking: Water, Energy & Cost per Skier Day Pro
- Ancillary Revenue: Ski School, Rental & F&B per Skier Day Pro
- Weather & Snow Scenarios: Season P&L with a Chart Pro
- EBITDA per Skier Day & Capex Payback for a New Lift Pro