"KIDS ON SKI" initiative successfully launched

Whether it's demographic change, the financial aspect or a lack of idols - there are many reasons why fewer and fewer children are regularly taking part in snow sports. The fact is: children are becoming scarce on the slopes. The ‘Kids on Ski’ initiative, which aims to offer children the snow experience free of charge from a very young age, wants to counteract this trend. The pilot phase started in December 2023 in six top ski resorts in the Alps.

Mike Partel, Managing Director of Mountain Management Consulting and creator of the initiative, on the successful launch of ‘KIDS ON SKI’: ‘I am delighted that we were able to kick off our ambitious project in six top ski resorts in the Alpine region in December last year despite the short preparation time. Several children were able to experience five free half-day ski courses in pilot groups in Italy, Austria and Switzerland, including rental equipment, lift tickets and accommodation.’ According to Partel, the aim of this campaign is to roll out the ‘white carpet’ for 50,000 skiers per year in the medium term.

Copyright image: grindelwaldSPORTS AG

The cross-alpine programme supports parents with small children between the ages of three and five in the form of tailor-made offers in December/January and March. The first six ski resorts - Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis and Leogang in Austria, the Aletsch Arena and Grindelwald in Switzerland and Alta Badia and Madonna di Campiglio in Italy - are already pulling together to successfully implement the programme and will each offer 200 children a free snow experience in the 23/24 winter season.
 
Following this year's pilot phase in the six ski resorts, the ambitious new programme is to be expanded to 50 top ski resorts in the Alpine region, thus awakening the interest of around 1,000 children per ski resort in skiing.