The majority of winter sports enthusiasts support the dynamic pricing model

The expressed approval reflects the sales figures of the current winter season, writes Ticketcorner. Ski resorts with dynamic prices have been able to significantly increase their sales.

On behalf of Ticketcorner, the market research institute Demoscope conducted a population-representative multi-topic survey (omnibus) among around 1,000 people from all over Switzerland and from all walks of life. The active winter sports enthusiasts were asked for their opinion on various aspects of ski ticketing, including the new "Dynamic Pricing" pricing model, which was first introduced by Ticketcorner and the SkiArena Andermatt-Sedrun in 2017 and has since been followed by various other ski resorts.

Public opinion on dynamic pricing for ski tickets tends to be positive. Although only recently introduced in the mountain railroad industry, 57 percent of winter sports enthusiasts surveyed are already in favor of the new pricing model.

When asked about the individual aspects of "dynamic pricing," the majority of survey participants expressed approval. For example, the fact that you have to pay less for a ski ticket on bad weather days is - unsurprisingly - well received by 61 percent - only 15 percent are against it. The survey also gave positive marks to discounts on working days and for advance bookings. Pascal Zürcher, CMO of Ticketcorner: "Consumers understand and welcome the various advantages of dynamic pricing. For the mountain railroads, this is a great opportunity to get more winter sports enthusiasts back on the slopes."

What consumers say about the disadvantages - namely noticeably higher prices on fair-weather days booked at short notice - is not clear from the results communicated, or is still being evaluated by Ticketcorner.

The dynamic prices are already said to be having a beneficial effect on ski resort revenues, writes Ticketcorner. In the current winter season, the company has sold 50 percent more tickets on its ski platform than at the same time a year ago. For the ski resorts SkiArena Andermatt-Sedrun, Airolo and Brigels, which rely on dynamic prices, two and a half times more tickets were sold.

"The online share of ski tickets sold has increased significantly in the ski resorts with dynamic pricing," says Pascal Zürcher. "Based on the survey and the good sales figures, it is to be expected that in the future the majority of Swiss ski resorts will rely on dynamic pricing and that the purchasing behavior of winter sports enthusiasts will change. For example, we are already noticing an increase in advance booking time because early bookers are benefiting from dynamic pricing."

Whether the overall revenues of the ski resorts could also be increased and not only the online share increased, however, remains open and to be seen.

The results of the population survey show, among other things, that individual population groups have an above-average positive attitude toward the dynamic prices. "Young people, people with low household incomes or, in general, the population of western Switzerland see the cheaper rates as an opportunity to go skiing more often," explains Pascal Zürcher. The purchasing behavior of winter sports enthusiasts and existing consumer reservations about "dynamic pricing," such as concerns about rising prices, were also recorded as part of the study and are now being evaluated by Ticketcorner for the ski resorts. (hae/pd)