7.
Left: Mt Buller opened Australia’s first alpine via ferrata in 2024, which led to a boost in summer business.
Below: Lift-served mountain biking is a steadily growing segment of Thredbo’s summer business.
with a single introductory route “suit- able for novices and school groups,” says Tabelander. A second route geared toward more advanced climbers was scheduled to open near the end of December 2024. Looking ahead, Tabelander says he is confident that summer operations will continue to increase in significance, “not only for financial reasons, but also to retain key staff year-round and sustain local communities in often remote areas. “For the most part, summer opera- tions among Australian ski resorts play a small role in the overall picture,” he continues. As Australia’s population increases and visitors seek alternative experiences to the beach and cities, “domestic resorts have an opportunity to step up and offer a cool escape during hot summers. Tapping into those mar- kets will require product innovation or, in other words, creating year-round experiences with low entry barriers for the whole family—something that we at Buller Ski Lifts are working towards.” 8. THREDBO, AUSTRALIA Thredbo, a ski resort in New South Wales with 1,200 skiable acres and some of Australia’s longest ski runs, has a robust summer operation. The resort offers mountain biking, scenic gondo- la and chairlift rides, hiking, fly fishing, an Olympic-sized swimming pool with waterslide, a sports hall and leisure center,
8.
guided 4WD tours, a golf course, tennis, a skate park, abseiling, bungee trampo- lines, and a wide range of summer events. Non-winter business currently accounts for 20 percent of total revenue, says gen- eral manager Stuart Diver. New to the operation as of June 2024 is a mile-long Wiegand mountain coast- er that will serve as a year-round attrac- tion. The resort says it’s the first alpine coaster in the Southern Hemisphere. It is open to participants as young as 3 years old (riding with an adult), and riders can reach speeds of up to 25 mph. “It has been hugely popular and has increased visita- tion in quieter periods,” says Diver. Mountain biking has also been a
strong segment of Thredbo’s summer business, with steady growth over the last 10 years, he says. The offering is a key component of the resort’s summer strat- egy, and “[w]e are continuing to invest in new trails, and now run four chairlifts specifically for MTB access,” says Diver. He expects that investment will pay off. “I think that summer business will continue to grow based on our contin- ued investment in current activities and in new attractions. We are looking at a zip line installation for summer 2026 and will continue to look at new ways to attract summer guests. It’s all about experiences that guests can’t get any- where else.”
Made with FlippingBook Digital Proposal Creator