One thing Australia’s two biggest ski resorts don’t agree on

Australia’s two biggest ski resorts have opposite views when it comes to handling one of the biggest complaints skiers and snowboarders have.

Do you think the number of people on the slopes should be capped, even if it means missing out? Pictures: TikTok / @heylinni; @lillypousderkos

Should Australian ski resorts cap the number of passes they sell?

Aussie skiers and snowboarders have not been shy in expressing their frustration over huge queues this season.

Videos at Australia’s largest ski resort, Perisher, have shown snow enthusiasts walking up the slopes instead of waiting in long lines at ski lifts during bad weather, and visitors waiting hours in traffic to enter and exit the resort during school holidays.

Aware of just how busy it got in mid-July, the resort introduced a new initiative called “PEAK Snow Days” to warn visitors about its busiest days.

But would it ever limit the number of skiers and snowboarders on the mountain? news.com.au can confirm there is no plans to do so. Perisher doesn’t want anyone to miss out.

However, over at Thredbo, the second biggest ski resort in the country with the longest runs, that is exactly what they are doing.

Thredbo has limited the number of people on the slopes by capping the number of season passes and day passes sold.

“Our decision to cap ski passes was to ensure a premium ski experience for our guests,” Thredbo brand and marketing manager Richard Carroll told news.com.au.

“We have been rolling out this new business model over the last two years and it is continuing to improve our guest experience.” 

Back in 2020, when the resort almost halved its capacity due to Covid social distancing rules, skiers waited in a huge online queue to get their hands on passes with most weekends selling out within a day.

Thredbo does not disclose the number of passes a season or day is capped at.

People walking up Front Valley at Perisher on a windy day where only the T-bar lifts were open. Picture: TikTok / heylinni

Queues at Front Valley, Perisher’s main access run to the resort, during the winter school holidays. Picture: TikTok / lillypousderkos

When news.com.au asked Perisher if it had plans to cap its ski passes sold, sales and marketing director Robert Lloyd said there was no immediate plans to do so.

He believes the more people that can ski, the better.

“Our Epic Australia Pass holders have unlimited access to Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham throughout the season, which means visitor numbers fluctuate throughout the season,” he said.

“Our guests are choosing to buy a pass instead of a lift ticket because of the value and flexibility it provides.

“At the end of the day, the more you and others can ski and ride the better. Our passes make that possible. And they bring a lot of options to skiers and riders.

“Yes, our pass holder base has grown a lot in recent years – but so has the number of resorts guests can access with a pass. Still, we are more focused than ever on preserving and improving our pass holders’ experience at our mountains.”