Winter season going very well so far according to mountain railroads

If you include the exceptional start to the season with the snowy November, the increase up to the end of January was 10 percent, the Swiss Cableways Association (SBS) announced on Wednesday. January 2025 was at the same level as January 2024, with plenty of fresh snow at the end of January providing good conditions for the sports vacations.

A look at the regions shows that all of them were able to maintain or improve on the results of the same period last year. The development in lower-lying regions with many small and medium-sized ski resorts was particularly pleasing.

Central Switzerland, for example, recorded a 22 percent increase in visitor numbers, the Vaud and Fribourg Alps 18 percent, and Ticino and Eastern Switzerland 15 percent. The Bernese Oberland was also among the double-digit percentage winners with a growth rate of 12 percent. The frequencies in the higher regions were less pronounced. The increase in Valais was 6 percent and in Graubünden 1 percent.

The five-year average growth rates ranged from 15 percent in Graubünden to 35 percent in Eastern Switzerland.

For the season monitoring, the Swiss Cableways Association analyzed the number of guests (first-time admissions) from over 120 members from all over Switzerland. The industry is confident about the second half of the season, it added.