Visitors to the Czech mountains can look forward to a number of innovations this year, while the prices of ski passes have been kept practically at last year's level. The ski resorts in the Czech Republic continue to improve their services for customers and continue to invest in efficient technologies so that even with the variability of weather and energy prices, they can offer winter sports and outdoor activities in the expected range and maximum quality. A recent survey of recreational athletes showed that interest in skiing and snowboarding is still above standard.
Summer season in the mountains was successful
The summer visitor numbers in our mountains were again slightly higher than last year (+ 5 %). It was again confirmed that the increase in visitor interest is mainly recorded by those resorts that expand their offer of services and attractions for the summer season, especially cycling trails or bike parks for cyclists.
Preparation of ski slopes, new ropeways and better comfort for visitors
This year's investment in the winter season reached a record CZK 1.75 billion. Of this, roughly CZK 950 million was spent on the winter season. CZK 250 million is made up of the strengthening of accommodation capacity at Dolní Morava, where visitors can use a total of 171 hotel-type apartments in three new buildings, just 200 metres from the cable car. This is comfortable, modern accommodation in mountain design with all the facilities and services for an active ski holiday.
This exceptional project will of course be used all year round, so the net investment of the resorts directly into this year's winter season reaches a significant amount of approximately CZK 800 million. Thanks to these funds, visitors to the Czech mountains can look forward to, for example, a new six-seat chairlift with a "bubble" in Deštné, a new chairlift will also be built in Filipovice, new skicross tracks will be built in Dolní Morava and Železná Ruda, moving ski tracks in Vítkovice and Pec pod Sněžkou, etc. A major part of the investment is traditionally directed to the improvement of snowmaking systems, the purchase of snow rolls or the interconnection and improvement of the profiles of downhill tracks in a number of other resorts.
Visitors to the Czech mountains will receive better services thanks to new operational buildings, investments in improving the facilities of accompanying services or expanding the portfolio of services. More new restaurants (Dolní Morava) and smaller gastro establishments (Malá Úpa, Rokytnice n. Jizerou) are being opened. The digitisation of systems is continuing again, especially in the area of online sales of ski passes, automatic cash registers or equipment reservations in rental shops, where rented sports equipment has often been renewed.
Current challenges and how Czech ski resorts face them
Weather fluctuations are one of the strongest challenges of the time for the Czech mountains. However, ski resorts want to offer winter experiences and skiing in the expected range and maximum quality. That's why they are also investing in technologies that support higher efficiency, lower energy consumption and better water management.
These include the construction of accumulation tanks, the purchase of new snow guns and sticks, which are increasingly efficient and economical (the efficiency of technical snowmaking has doubled in the last 10 years alone, while technical snow contains nothing but water and air). The use of modern SNOWSAT technology, which uses satellites (GPS) to measure the snow depth at a specific location to the nearest centimetre, is expanding again, so that ski areas can better manage their slopes, save electricity and fuel, and at the same time manage water more efficiently when making snow.
Storage reservoirs that collect water from rainfall, spring thaw and snowmelt improve the efficiency of technical snowmaking many times over, while protecting smaller watercourses. Ski area operators and water managers agree on the benefits of reservoirs. They help to retain water in nature as well as to cool it down, they capture natural precipitation for snowmaking and they also serve as water sources in case of fire fighting in inaccessible mountain terrain.
So far, ski resorts in the Czech Republic have built about 40 storage tanks. One of the newest ones is being built in SkiResort Černá Hora-Pec, including covering with a new parking lot, an investment of 90 million CZK. CZK. The construction of another 30-50 reservoirs would increase the total volume in storage so that these highly sustainable sources would cover up to half of the total amount of water used for technical snowmaking. This would enable an early start to the winter seasons and have a major positive impact on the operation of entire mountain resorts. "Accumulation tanks are common abroad, unfortunately in the Czech Republic the approval of their construction is slowed down or completely stopped without objective reasons. For many years we have been saying loudly that non-financial support in the form of better access to the assessment and permitting of investment projects and buildings is what would help the Czech state most to ski resorts and mountain regions, but the state does not seem to hear us." comments Libor Knot, Director of AHS.
Czech skiers and snowboarders want to continue their hobby
Research* directly among Czech skiers and snowboarders showed that 82 % of them want to maintain or even increase the scope of their activities in the future (37 % want to do more of them than before, 45 % want to do the same as before). These two attitudes were most often declared by skiers or snowboarders in the 15-21 age group, which has the most years of active life ahead of it: 50 % want to ski more than before and 40 % want to ski as much as before. At the same time, the oldest age group 44-55 years old has a high proportion of those who do not intend to stop these activities: 58 % of them want to ski or snowboard as much as before, which is by far the highest proportion across the age groups surveyed.
The vast majority (86 %) of all respondents agree that young people should learn to ski/snowboard, most often for the following reasons: skiing/snowboarding brings health and psychological benefits to children (82 %), helps develop their motor skills (76 %), is an overall good opportunity for exercise (71 %), boosts children's confidence (65 %) and helps build social contacts (57 %).
"For Czech ski resorts, these are clear signals that the interest in recreational downhill skiing and snowboarding among Czechs is high, that the demand for the services of ski resorts will continue, and that it therefore makes sense for us to face the challenges that the current era brings in order to enable lovers of winter sports and exercise in healthy air to engage in these activities." Says Kateřina NeumannováPresident of the AHS.
Two thirds of resorts have maintained ski pass prices at last year's level, some have even reduced prices
Lovers of the Czech mountains will be pleased to know that ski pass prices** in the 2024-25 season remain basically the same or very similar to last year's. As in the previous season, two-thirds of resorts have maintained last year's prices. Around a quarter of resorts have increased prices in the very minimal 1-3 % range and quite a few resorts (over 15 %) have decreased prices compared to last year. It is still the case that most Czech ski resorts use minimum and maximum prices (either as floating or differentiated by part of the winter season) and that significant savings (20-30 %) can be made when buying online. "More and more Czech ski resorts are using floating ski pass prices. Visitors can save time and money by buying early from home, and operators can better regulate the number of skiers on the slopes." Says Libor Knot.
Skiing in the Alps has become more expensive this year, by 5-10 %. In the Czech Republic a skier pays on average 750-1000 CZK (30-40 EUR) for a day ski pass, in an average Alpine resort he spends 60 EUR and in a premium one almost 80 EUR.
Traditionally, interested parties can find up-to-date information about the Czech mountains on the portal holidayinfo.cz, where, in addition to plenty of snow and kilometres of groomed slopes, they will watch webcams from mountain resorts.
News and continuously updated tips for trips and winter stays are also available on one of the largest tourist portals kudyznudy.czwhich operates Czech Tourism Centre - CzechTourism.
"Czech mountains offer not only great conditions for winter sports, but also a unique atmosphere and facilities that will be appreciated by families with children and demanding visitors. Current CzechTourism campaigns, whether aimed at the domestic market or at foreign audiences, emphasise that our mountains are easily accessible, less crowded than foreign resorts and ideal for active relaxation. The main idea is to show that every mountain resort in the country has something to offer - from modern infrastructure to attractive ski slopes to peace and fresh air, which is so lacking in urban environments," says the director of the Czech Tourism Centre - CzechTourism Frantisek Reismüller and adds: "The Jeseníky Mountains are also ready to welcome visitors despite the recent floods, proving that mountain resorts can face challenges thanks to long-term investments in modern technology and sustainability. Not only there, but across all the Czech mountains, your visit is worthwhile - you will support the region and at the same time take away experiences that will keep you energised for weeks to come."
* The data collection was carried out by means of a web-based questionnaire (CAWI) of STEM/MARK agency from 30 May to 10 June 2024 on a sample of N=1009 persons aged 15-65 years who are/ were engaged in downhill skiing/snowboarding.
** The data source is ski pass prices from the published prices for the 2024/25 season so far, where there is a comparison with the last season, N=30 ski resorts.
CzechTourism/ gnews - RoZ
ILLUSTRATIVE PHOTO - pixabay
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