Ski Resort Economics: Skier Days, Lift Capacity, Snowmaking & Pass Pricing

What you'll build

What you will be able to do

Each lab ends with a concrete result that you build yourself and the checker confirms, cell by cell.

• Turn operating days and average daily skiers into skier days by month, find the season length, the true average per operating day, each month's share and the peak month.
• Calculate the vertical transport metres per hour of six lifts, each lift's share, the resort's comfortable carrying capacity and how full a busy design day is.
• Calculate ticket revenue by product, the yield (revenue per skier day) of each product and of the whole season, and compare the season passes' share of visits with their share of revenue.
• Calculate how many visits make each pass tier cheaper than day tickets, the revenue per tier, the average price actually realised and the yield per pass visit.
• Convert slope area and base depth into snow volume, water and energy, add up the season's snowmaking cost, express it per skier day and find the water needed for one extra centimetre.
• Calculate each department's profit and margin, its revenue per skier day, the pooled ancillary margin and how much of the resort's revenue comes from outside the lift ticket.
• Build a season P&L for four weather scenarios (skier days, revenue, EBITDA), measure what a poor season costs and chart revenue and EBITDA side by side.
• Calculate EBITDA per skier day, the yearly cash flow a new chairlift adds, its simple payback and its NPV over the lift's life.