Italian watchdog blasts ‘completely unjustified’ rise in cost of ski passes

“Completely unjustified” prices rises for ski passes in Italy this winter mean the sport is at risk of becoming the exclusive privilege of the wealthy, the president of an Italian consumers’ association has warned. From the Alps and the Dolomites in the north to the slopes of the central Italian region of Abruzzo, prices are poised to rise by as much as 40% compared with 2021, according to a report compiled by the watchdog, Assoutenti. A “Dolomiti Superski” pass, granting access to all 12 resorts in the pricey Dolomites, will set skiers back €86 (£75) a day this season. In Roccaraso, a popular resort in Abruzzo’s Apennines that became overcrowded last season after being promoted by a TikTok star, the cost of a daily ski pass is expected to rise to €60. Meanwhile, the cost of seasonal ski passes will range from between €755 per adult in Roccaraso to as much as €1,800 in the Aosta valley. The cost of hiring ski equipment has also gone up, as have hotel and restaurant prices. Gabriele Melluso, the president of Assoutenti, said the price rises, which ski resort operators blame on higher energy prices, the cost of maintaining resorts and higher demand for better quality equipment, were “completely unjustified and unacceptable […] both because inflation in Italy is under control and energy tariffs, which had increased costs for ski resort operators in 2022, have returned to normal.” He added that prices were now so high that the less wealthy had been forced to forgo their traditional settimana bianca, or ski holiday, altogether. He noted a sharp decline in mountain tourism during the 2024-2025 season, with 1 million fewer Italians hitting the slopes compared with the previous year owing to the rising cost. Despite the price rises, Italy is still a cheaper place to ski in western Europe than Switzerland, France and Austria. The concern over costs comes as the country prepares to host the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics between 6 and 22 February. Italy’s foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, said on Friday that Italy had submitted a proposal to the UN urging a “global truce” during the event. “With Milan Cortina we must also send a message of peace at dialogue … to stop warfare during the Games,” he said.