Europe’s ski industry is facing a turning point. Rising temperatures and unpredictable snowfall are forcing resorts to rethink how they operate and threatening the accessibility of winter sports for millions of people.
Snow Is Becoming Scarce
Even in the Dolomites, where the Winter Olympics will take place in Milan-Cortina this February, snow is no longer guaranteed. Outside of the Olympic slopes, natural snow is increasingly rare. Resorts now rely heavily on artificial snowmaking, a process that is costly, energy-intensive, and water-hungry. These costs often get passed on to skiers through higher lift tickets, making winter sports less affordable for many European families.
The Impact on Winter Sports and the Olympics
Climate change is not only affecting recreational skiing but also the future of the Winter Olympics. A 2021 study found that by 2050 only four past Olympic host cities Lake Placid in the United States, Lillehammer and Oslo in Norway, and Sapporo in Japan will still have reliable winter conditions. If global temperatures rise by four degrees Celsius, nearly all former Olympic sites will be unsuitable, leaving only Sapporo by 2080. Even with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting warming to two degrees Celsius, only nine host locations would remain viable by 2050.
Water, Energy, and Rising Costs
Europe’s winter tourism generates around 180 billion euros annually, with the Alps at its center. Germany, Italy, and France have the largest number of ski resorts, but over half of Europe’s 2,234 resorts face high risk of low snow if warming continues. Producing artificial snow requires about one million liters of water per hectare and significant electricity, increasing emissions and straining resources. Skiing costs have risen 34.8 percent since 2015, especially in Switzerland, Austria, and Italy, pricing out many visitors and threatening the long-term sustainability of winter tourism.
Europe’s ski resorts are at a crossroads. Without urgent climate action and better management of water and energy resources, the future of skiing in the Alps and beyond looks increasingly uncertain.
