- Snow storms might lead to Europe starting winter tourism earlier than expected.
- Popular countries for winter tourism, such as Switzerland, France and Austria, are already announcing opening dates.
- Winter tourism sounds like great news, but climate warnings can be related to the early season.
Ski Solutions reveals that up to 50 centimetres of snow are expected to cover popular Alpine destinations next week, with some of the most known being the Swiss municipality of Crans Montana, the French destinations of La Plagne and Chamonix French commune, as well as the Austrian village of Saint Anton am Arlberg.
Storms have been piling into the Alps for the last two weeks, with snow accumulations of more than 100cm quite widespread now on the upper slopes. This will ensure a solid base for the winter ahead, and with a lot more snow in the forecast, it’s shaping up to be one of the best starts to the winter ski season that I can remember.
He also noted that a surge in bookings for these destinations has been noticed due to the exceptional conditions, which make the ski destinations and the experience even more enjoyable. Jet2.com has also launched a 10 per cent off sale on flights to some ski destinations, including Chambery, Geneva, Grenoble and Salzburg, over the winter. The weather has encouraged several ski resorts to publish their opening dates. SLopes are not open yet in France, but big-name resorts have announced they will open one week earlier, potentially on November 18. As Euronews reports, Tignes resort will have a total of 1,300 metres of slopes available for skiing this season. Kitzbühel in Austria opened two weeks earlier, the same as Sölden, with 60 kilometres of vertical skiing territory for sports lovers. Nine areas in Switzerland have already been opened, including Davos, Zermatt and Verbier, with the latter opening three weeks earlier. Italian ski resorts are expected to open a week earlier, on November 18, and skiers are welcome to enjoy one metre of snow in the last week of Madonna di Campiglio. These changes are related to the warming climate that is threatening the world, including Europe, as some ski centres, especially those at lower altitudes, are being forced to close due to lack of snow.
