Researchers from the Swiss University of St Gallen studied the popularity of cross-country skiing at Davos and found that three quarters of all overnight guests make use of the resort's cross-country ski facilities.
Over the 130-day season in the Landwassertal valley, an average of 2,000 cross-country skiers use the runs in the valley, generating 78 million Euros of extra revenue for the local economy.
Interviews with cross-country skiers revealed that 15% of winter guests gave cross-country skiing as the main reason for their stay in Davos, while 60% regard cross-country skiing as a 'supplementary sport'.
Guests rated the runs, services provided by sport shops and the Cross-Country Ski Centre, and travel to and within Davos as 'very good.' The resort does not charge for use of its 110-km network of cross-country runs.
'The survey proves that our guests use cross-country ski tracks and appreciate this added value in comparison to winter-sport resorts that focus purely on downhill skiing,' said Davos Klosters Head of Marketing Anne-Marie Meyer at a press conference with Swiss Ski.
The Swiss resort plays host to the Davos Nordic, the only Cross-Country Ski World Cup event in Switzerland.
Value of Cross-Country Skiing Measured
Research has revealed the importance of cross-country skiing to the success of Swiss resort Davos.
- Written by: Roger Fulton