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tors a 360-degree view over the Tristaina lakes and Ordino Valley. A nearly 90-foot- long central beam with a 42.55-degree incline marks the time on the view- point’s circumference. “The Mirador Solar de Tristaina has been one of the most visited attrac- tions in the country during summer sea- son,” says Viladomat. The attraction is accessed via the two-stage gondola (the first stage stops at a restaurant) and a chairlift. This summer, it will become the starting point for several hiking trails. Summer is a critical area of oppor- tunity, says Viladomat. While advanced snowmaking systems will help to “offset increasingly erratic snowfalls,” he says all investments must have a year-round focus. Multi-functional facilities such as all-season gondolas, high-end accommo- dation, and dining options will attract visitors during the shoulder season and reduce reliance on a single-season model, he says, adding, “Resorts will need to adapt to the changing expectations of travelers who are increasingly seeking unique experiences, environmental responsibility, and seamless, personal- ized service. Balancing these demands with the need to protect fragile moun- tain ecosystems and support local com- munities will be key to the long-term viability of mountain resorts.”
non-winter business, offers activities like an alpine coaster, a ropes course, a play area, and one of the longest wooden mar- ble runs in the world. Kanzelwand, with non-winter business accounting for 31 percent of its total revenue, is similarly family-oriented with a water adventure trail with waterplay stations, a play- ground, and a nature exhibit. The high alpine Nebelhorn has been the focus of reinvestment recently. “The reconstruction of the summit restaurant at Nebelhorn that was combined with the implementation of the Nordwand- steig (a 100 m steel walkway at the peak) has been extremely successful,” says Volpert. Nebelhorn also offers a via fer- rata, child-friendly nature walks, para- gliding, and meeting facilities. Summer demand was high enough at the ski area that OK Bergbahnen recently doubled its uphill capacity with the installation of a new dual-cable gondola, says Volpert. “We expect the summer visitation to increase steadily by 0.3-1.0 percent due to climate change because people escape from the nearby hot cities to our cool mountains,” he says. He anticipates a fur- Several of OK Bergbahnen’s seven ski areas focus on families in summer, with activities for kids like this snowcat playground.
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ther boost in growth from planned new attractions, including a treetop walk, adventure golf, additional downhill bik- ing trails, a zip line, and mountain carts. Additionally, a unique partnership with local hotels and guest houses that pay a fee to OK Bergbahnen in order to offer guests unlimited use of the resort’s cable cars in summer “has not only increased overnight stays at our desti- nation, it has also increased the total number of visits at our mountain, thus generating more turnover at our restau- rants, especially on days with challeng- ing weather because guests use their free ticket for accessing a restaurant on the mountain even when it’s rainy.” 3. VAL CENIS, FRANCE Val Cenis, in the Haute Maurienne Valley of France, between Grenoble and Turin, Italy, has 125 km (about 78 miles) of ski trails across five villages: Le Haut, Lans- levillard, Plans de Champs, Lanslebourg and Termingnon. Summer activities cur- rently represent a minimal portion of its total revenue, says sales and marketing manager Christophe Marlière, who sees
2. OK BERGBAHNEN, GERMANY / AUSTRIA
Oberstdorf Kleinwalsertal (OK) Berg- bahnen, on the border of Germany and Austria, consists of seven ski areas with a shared lift ticket. While OK Berg- bahnen derives 35 percent of its total revenue from non-winter business, the percentage across ski areas varies, with Nebelhorn ski area at the top end, earn- ing 59 percent of its total revenue from non-winter business, and Walmending- er Horn-Heuberg-Ifen on the other end, with 16 percent of its annual revenue coming from non-winter business. All of the ski areas offer restaurants and hiking in the summer, and then each has additional summer activities accord- ing to its unique character, environmen- tal restrictions, and other factors, says OK Bergbahnen chairman Henrik Volpert. For example, Söllereck, which earns 53 percent of its total revenue from
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Val Cenis offers well- ness activities as part of its summer program, including yoga classes at the top of the Vieux Moulin gondola.
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