Analysis of the sensitivity of ski tourism demand to climate change in Switzerland

Impacts of climate change on winter tourism supply have attracted considerable interest in recent years. In comparison, only few studies have addressed so far the effects on demand. In this article, we analyze how snow and weather conditions currently impact the ski tourism demand using econometric models. These were estimated with two samples of respectively 74 and 92 Swiss ski resorts tracked over four winter seasons (2005/06 to 2008/09). Regression results emphasize the link between weather and snow conditions and the tourism demand (overnight stays, skier visits) at Swiss ski resorts.