Despite gloomy reports of crisis, war and recession, business is booming at Idre Himmelfjäll. The mountain resort has gone from a new start to a modern ski resort in a couple of years – and a turnover increase of a whopping 27 percent this winter compared to the same period last year.
– It's fantastic that we continue not only at full speed downhill but also at the same speed uphill. Now "We are now looking forward to the Easter weekend with a full Easter program with a really thick snow cover in the Idre area, which makes for a really nice winter finale," says Torbjörn Wallin, CEO of Idre Himmelfjäll.
As Sweden's newest ski resort, Idre Himmelfjäll opened on December 17, 2019. Today, there are just over 3,500 beds, 9 lifts, 23 slopes, a restaurant, convenience store, reception and ski rental. During the summer half of 2022 alone, 700 new beds were built and the resort's long-term vision ("vision 2036") includes 15,000 beds, around 50 alpine slopes, hotels, restaurants, activities both summer and winter, and retail.
While many media outlets are reporting negative economic developments in Sweden this past winter, it has been a really good winter season for Idre Himmelfjäll. The number of guest nights in managed accommodation has increased by 39 percent at the facility (from December to February) compared to last year. At the same time, the total turnover at the facility has increased by 27 percent during the same period compared to last year.
The restaurant business, run by Fari Ceken's company, has increased by 37 percent compared to last year. Plots also continue to be sold. This winter, 14 plots have been sold and 200 people have come to viewings and the forecast is for a total of 20 plots sold this year.
– In total, we expect a 30 percent increase in sales this winter compared to last year, a figure that is in line with the long-term budget that we made when we started building the facility on August 31, 2018. We are grateful for this winter, even though we are aware that we are only at the beginning of a long development journey ahead, says Torbjörn Wallin.
According to the press release.
