The winter sports resorts in Ticino are in a serious crisis. The resorts in Airolo and especially in Bosco-Curin have repeatedly faced economic collapse. Even millions invested in the ski resorts could not bring them back on the road to economic success. One man's bad luck is another man's bargain: True to the motto, the municipalities of Airolo and Quinto, located south of the Gotthard, took over the Airolo ski area for 70,000 Swiss francs, the price of a mid-range car. The value of the lift facilities, including the buildings, was estimated at 7.7 million Swiss francs. This means that the new owners acquired the area for a mere 1% of its value.
However, it is likely that the area cannot be operated profitably at present, as very costly avalanche blasting by helicopter is regularly required after snowfall to secure the slopes. Although the area is perfectly accessible (approx. three minutes from the Gotthard highway, train station in Airolo), the number of visitors has been very low in recent years. It is therefore doubtful whether the purchase of a presumably heavily loss-making area is really a bargain. But what else can the extremely structurally weak municipalities do if they want to benefit at least a little from winter tourism
Billionaire Sawiris supports merger project with CHF 10 million
However, the takeover appears in a different light if you believe a report in the Valais newspaper Boten from October 9, 2009. The article reports on a cooperation and merger project, according to which the mountain railroads and ski resorts of Andermatt, Disentis and Sedrun, Fiesch in Goms and Airolo want to work together in future and could even merge. The fact that the Egyptian billionaire Sawiris, who is building a large golf resort in Andermatt, wants to support the project with 10 million Swiss francs makes the topic explosive and topical.
The merger project could also revive the Winterhorn small ski area in Hospental. The area has now been closed for the second year due to a lack of a solvent operator after the search for an investor (auction on the internet) failed.
Big project - big opportunity?
One drawback will certainly remain: It will hardly be possible to connect the areas using lifts, as the distances are too great. However, as all ski areas (except Airolo) are connected by cogwheel railroad, the creation of a large Gotthard area consisting of individual ski areas would certainly have a lot of potential, especially for freeriders.
You can therefore assume that the Gotthard will soon be throwing the dice big time.