Crowdfunding action for Saas-Fee wins Marketing Trophy 2018

Saas-Fee in winter- Photo credit: Matterhorn Region- Saas Fee.

The crowdfunding for the WinterCARD of the Saastal Bergbahnen AG (“That’ll blow you over!”) is considered one of the most spectacular marketing campaigns of recent years. And has now been honoured with the Marketing Trophy 2018 in the field of SMEs.



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No wonder: with an innovative marketing campaign, the cable cars sold more than 90,000 season tickets from October to December 2016, generating revenues in excess of CHF 20 million. The action was developed by matter + gretener and was based on the crowd funding principle: because more than 90,000 skiers and snowboarders wanted a season pass for 222 francs, the “Hammer Deal” became reality. And the European record in crowd funding was set up.

Saas-Fee beautiful scenery at night - Saas-Fee won the Marketing Trophy thanks to its crowdfunding campaign- Photo: Matterhorn Region AG- Saas-Fee
Saas-Fee beautiful scenery at night- Saas-Fee won the Marketing Trophy thanks to its crowdfunding campaign – Photo: Matterhorn Region AG- Saas-Fee

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Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Okemo Mountain Resort and Mount Sunappe Resort are EPIC.

Crested Butte is one of the last additions to the EPIC Pass. Photo: Crested Butte Mountain Resort.
  • Crested Butte, Okemo and Mount Sunapee join the Epic Pass beginning with the 2018-19 winter season in a long-term alliance.
  • Epic, Epic Local and Epic Australia pass holders will receive seven days of skiing and snowboarding at each of the three resorts with no blackout dates for a total of 21 days.
  • Epic 7-Day pass holders can use any or all of their seven days and Epic 4-Day pass holders can use any or all of their four days of skiing and snowboarding with no blackout dates at the three resorts.
  • Epic, Epic Local, Epic Australia, Epic 7-Day and Epic 4-Day pass holders will receive 50 percent off lift tickets after their respective days have been redeemed.
  • Crested Butte Peak Pass Plus and Peak Pass holders; Okemo Ultimate, Classic and Gold Pass holders; and Mount Sunapee Full Ride and Skiing Is For Life Pass holders will receive 50 percent off lift tickets at all Vail Resorts owned mountain resorts.



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Vail Resorts, Inc. announced today that Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado, Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont and Mount Sunapee Resort in New Hampshire will join the industry-leading Epic Pass in a long-term alliance beginning in the 2018-19 winter season, bringing the total to 64 mountain resorts in 11 states and provinces and eight countries for skiers and snowboarders. Epic, Epic Local and Epic Australia will receive seven days of skiing and snowboarding with no blackout dates at each of the three resorts for a total of 21 days. Epic 7-Day pass holders can use any or all seven of their total days and Epic 4-Day pass holders can use any or all four of their total days of skiing and snowboarding with no blackout dates at the three resorts.

 

Okemo is also now EPIC.
Okemo is also now EPIC.

Continue reading “Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Okemo Mountain Resort and Mount Sunappe Resort are EPIC.”

The Mountain Collective Pass 2018-19 : 16 destinations with 2 days per resort for USD 409 per person

Mountain Collective pass has a collection of 16 resorts - 2 days per resort plus a third day on the resort of your choice- Mammoth Mountain - Photo: Mountain Collective.

The Mountain Collective is still alive and kicking after the announcement of the IKON Pass and the disappearance of the MAX pass – as many of the resorts that were in the latter, where absorbed by Alterra Mtn Co with its IKON pass.

Mountain Collective Pass - Niseko United.16 destinations- 2 days per resort.
Mountain Collective Pass – Niseko United.16 destinations- 2 days per resort.

Each 2018-19 pass-holder will receive 2 days at the Collective destinations for a total of 32 days, plus a third day at the destination of their choice.

 

Continue reading “The Mountain Collective Pass 2018-19 : 16 destinations with 2 days per resort for USD 409 per person”

The famous Epic Pass is getting 10 years old this year and has launched its rates for the 2018-19 ski season.

Whistler sunset- Photo by Paul Morrison - Vail Resorts.

The EPIC pass offers access to 61 ski areas in 8 countries. The IKON Pass, its contender, goes now head to head with the EPIC Pass.

What is new this year with the EPIC Pass:
• New for 2018-19, Epic Pass holders receive limited access to Telluride in Colorado, Hakuba Valley in Japan and Resorts of the Canadian Rockies across Canada, bringing the worldwide resort access total to 61.
• In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Epic Pass, Vail Resorts is honouring its heritage with the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division with a $99 Military Epic Pass and a $1 donation for every 2018-19 season pass sold to Wounded Warrior Project.
• Vail Resorts season passes offer a number of unique advantages over other industry passes, from direct to lift access to discounted tickets for family and friends
United States. Canada. Australia. Japan. France. Switzerland. Italy. Austria. No other season pass gives skiers and snowboarders access to so many celebrated resorts around the world than the Epic Pass, including unlimited, unrestricted access to 15 mountain resorts and limited access to 46 more. Priced at $899 for the 2018-19 winter season, the Epic Pass remains unmatched in the mountain resort industry for the variety and value it offers skiers and snowboarders.



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New for next winter, the Epic Pass will feature access to Telluride in Colorado; Hakuba Valley’s nine ski resorts in Japan; and Resorts of the Canadian Rockies across Canada, including Fernie Alpine Resort, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort and Kimberley Alpine Resort in British Columbia, Nakiska in Alberta, and Mont Sainte Anne and Stoneham in Quebec, all in a long-term alliance.

Continue reading “The famous Epic Pass is getting 10 years old this year and has launched its rates for the 2018-19 ski season.”

The Magic Pass – the multi-area ski pass for 30 Swiss French resorts is on SALE now

Villars-Gryon-Les Diablerets is one of the resorts in the Magic Pass.

The Magic Pass, this multi-area ski resort pass launched in the Swiss French regions last year – with 25 ski resorts of all sizes, attracted by the end of February 2018, 2.177 million skier-days which brought a 30% increase in visitor numbers compared to the previous season on the same date. In terms of turnover, an increase of 10% was achieved by the end of February compared to the season total from 2016/17.

Magic Pass is on sale for the 2nd year in the row with more ski areas, with some also usable for summer.
Magic Pass is on sale for the 2nd year in the row with more ski areas, with some also usable for summer.

These results were very encouraging, from very small resorts such as Rathvel, which got 220%, increase in visits, to larger resorts, such as Crans-Montana, that their numbers rose more than 30%.

This spirit of cooperation amongst ski areas has guaranteed an appreciable level of stability for the smaller, less well-known ski areas.

Now looking to the 2018-19 ski season, the Magic Mountains Cooperation is launching the MAGIC Pass with more ski areas- The new areas waiting to be discovered by pass holders are: the Espace Dent Blanche (Evolène – La Forclas – Arolla), the Vallée de Joux (L’Abbaye, – L’Orient – Le Brassus), and the Riviera (Les Pléiades- Rochers-de-Naye). In total, Magic Pass 2018/19 includes more than 30 ski areas of all shapes and sizes.

Continue reading “The Magic Pass – the multi-area ski pass for 30 Swiss French resorts is on SALE now”

Lift passes rates in European ski resorts

Freezing Temperatures - Photo by Rob Bye - Unsplash

Swissinfo.ch published a very good table with all the ski resorts’ lift ticket rates – which is good to see when planning a ski holiday – even though the price of the lift ticket is not all, and it accounts to only a 6% of the ski holiday, but, every little helps!

Ski Run - photo by Toa Heftiba - Unsplash
Ski Run – photo by Toa Heftiba – Unsplash
Country and ski resort Child weekday Adult weekday Child 6-day Adult 6-day
SWITZERLAND
Adelboden 30 55 138 258
Aletsch Arena 26 51 144 287
Arosa/Lenzerheide 21 64 81 291
Champèry (Portes du Soleil Pass) 39 52 196 261
Crans-Montana 33 59 169 299
Davos/Klosters 24 60 117 293
Grindelwald/Wengen 27 55 128 258
Laax 22 67 106 319
Saas Fee (Saas Fee Pass) 31 62 157 312
St. Moritz/Corviglia 22 67 107 322
Verbier/Nendaz (4 Valleys/High season) 32 64 160 319
Zermatt 34 67 162 325
FRANCE
Alpe d’Huez 43 52 211 267
Avoriaz (Portes du Soleil) 39 52 195 260
Chamonix (Le Pass) 43 50 215 252
Courchevel (3 Valleys) 49 61 240 300
Flaine/Grand Massif 35 47 185 246
La Plagne 42 52 212 265
Les 2 Alpes 40 50 200 250
Les Arcs 42 52 212 265
Megeve (Evasion Mont Blanc Pass) 37 46 185 231
Morzine 29 40 149 199
Tignes/Val d’Isère 46 57 228 285
AUSTRIA
Ischgl 30 49 148 247
Kitzbühel 27 55 133 266
Lech/Zürs am Arlberg 32 53 164 275
Mayrhofen 23 52 112 249
Skiwelt Wilder/Kaiser/Brixental/Söll 24 49 120 239
Obergurgl/Hochgurgl 34 52 157 285
Schladming/Planai/Hochwurzen 26 51 128 257
Serfaus/Fiss/Ladis 31 51 158 273
Skicircus Saalbach/Hinterglemm/Leogang/Fieberbrunn 26 53 127 255
St. Anton am Arlberg 32 53 164 275
Sölden 29 53 157 285
Zell am See/Schmittenhöhe 25 51 126 252
ITALY
3 Peaks Dolomites 37 53 182 260
Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm 38 54 191 273
Alta Badia 38 54 191 273
Bormio 34 41 138 214
Cervinia/Breuil 32 46 169 242
Cortina d’Ampezzo 38 54 191 273
Courmayeur 12 47 60 239
La Thuile 31 44 161 229
Livigno 34 47 139 240
Madonna di Campiglio 25 50 124 247
Val Gardena/Gröden 38 54 191 273
Val Senales/Schnalstal 27 45 155 238
gondola-with-skis-kipras-streimikis-Unsplash
gondola-with-skis-kipras-streimikis-Unsplash

This is not an exhaustive list, but you have something to compare. I am assuming that the prices within the Dolomiti Superski area, are showing all the same rates, as they must be selling the Dolomiti Superski lift.

 

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You can read our resort guide to Val di Fiemme and the one to Courmayeur

Tram in the clouds - Luciano Ribas - Unsplash
Tram in the clouds – Luciano Ribas – Unsplash

Featured Image: Freezing Temperatures – Photo by Rob Bye – Unsplash

Telluride joins the EPIC pass in what is another chapter of the saga of two giants to get the biggest market share in North America.

Main street downtown Telluride - Photo credits: Telluride Ski Resort.

In what is another chapter of this saga of the two giants trying to get the biggest slice of the cake, Vail Resorts adds Telluride as one of the resorts you can ski if you purchase the Epic Pass.

Telluride gondola - Photo by Telluride Ski Resort
Telluride gondola – Photo by Telluride Ski Resort

As per Vail Resorts website, they have entered a “long-term alliance” with Telluride Ski Resort in Colorado, adding it to the Epic Pass starting in 2018-19. The Epic Pass now offers access and benefits to a total of 46 mountain resorts worldwide.

Continue reading “Telluride joins the EPIC pass in what is another chapter of the saga of two giants to get the biggest market share in North America.”

Alterra Mountain Company launches its new IKON Pass to compete with Vail’s EPIC pass.

The famous Jackson Hole Tram - Photo: Alterra Mountain Company

The New Standard in Passes. One Pass. 23 Destinations.

https://youtu.be/MRvst677v_8

Alterra Mountain Company, the newly formed company by KSL Associates and Henry Crown Company – has finally released the name of its new 2018-19 pass product – the Ikon Pass, which will compete head to head with Vail’s EPIC pass.

The New IKON Pass was just now unveiled.
The New IKON Pass was just now unveiled.

North America’s top mountain destinations have joined together to offer skiers and riders the Ikon Pass uniting 12 destinations from Alterra Mountain Company and 11 premier destination partners.

Continue reading “Alterra Mountain Company launches its new IKON Pass to compete with Vail’s EPIC pass.”