Successful weeks for SkiStar during Christmas and New Year: The year gets off to a great start with excellent snow conditions

Interest in spending the Christmas holidays in the Scandinavian mountains at SkiStar’s destinations has been exceptionally high again this winter. The cold spell in December meant SkiStar was able to produce plenty of excellent snow, promising a long and snow-filled winter season. Several destinations, especially Trysil, Hemsedal and Sälen, have also received a fresh batch of natural snow in recent days. In addition, according to the latest guest surveys, more than 7 out of 10 guests were very satisfied with their stay.

“It is extremely gratifying that we have had so many guests at our destinations during the Christmas and New Year weeks, despite the challenges going on around us. On 30 December alone, we had over 67,000 ski visitors* to our destinations, the second-highest number we have ever had on that day. This really shows that many still choose to go to the mountains and prioritise alpine skiing, even when times are tough. The trend of holidaying at home in the stunning Scandinavian mountains is thus continuing,” says Stefan Sjöstrand, CEO of SkiStar.

A few more examples:

• On 30 December, SkiStar Hemsedal had over 7,500 ski visitors, a record high on this day.
• On 27 December, SkiStar Trysil had 10,381 ski visitors, which is very close to the record for that day of 10,475 in 2019.
• On 30 December, SkiStar Åre had 16,860 ski visitors, the second highest ever on this date (17,431 in 2017).
• On the same day, SkiStar Sälen also peaked with 19,347 ski visitors, on par with the success of 2018 on the same date.
• Last but not least, SkiStar Vemdalen also had 11,832 skiers the day before New Year’s Eve, very close to the record of 11,991 on the same date in 2019.

Powder snow and plenty of activities to come
Several skiing destinations have also enjoyed heavy snowfall in the past few days. In Trysil and Hemsedal, more than 42 cm and 92 cm of fresh snow have fallen over the past few days, respectively. The snow depth is now 75 cm in Sälen (Lindvallen), 50 cm in Vemdalen (Vemdalsskalet), 38 cm in Åre, 83 cm in Trysil and 150 cm in Hemsedal. Even Stockholm Hammarbybacken has all lifts and slopes open.

“We have had ideal snow conditions thanks to the cold weather in December and our investment in even better snow production. The arrival of natural snow was the icing on the cake that we know our guests appreciate. This is reflected in our latest guest surveys, where more than 7 out of 10 stated they had enjoyed a memorable mountain experience with us. Now we’re looking forward to a long winter season filled with numerous activities at our destinations,” says Niclas Sjögren Berg, SkiStar’s COO.

After the winter season’s initial intense period of peak-season weeks, the season at SkiStar continues with plenty of activities and events in January-February, with everything from the popular SkiStar Winter Games to the coveted Valle's family weeks in January and in Week 13, offering free group ski school, ski rental and SkiPass for children up to six years of age at SkiStar's skiing destinations. Read more

Spring half-term in mid-February is already heavily booked up and popular, not least among families with children who choose to holiday at the skiing destinations during holiday periods.

All activities and events can be found here

Snow depth and hours of operation

*Ski visitors are those who used SkiStar’s lift system during the period from 22 December 2022 to 8 January 2023. This means that children under the age of seven who travelled for free are not included in the above statistics. This group is usually estimated to account for about 6-12% of visitors, depending on the destination and the week. According to industry standards, they account for 10% of the total number of ski visitors.