Ljubljana – A number of ski resorts will start up their ski lifts over the weekend as the 2012-2013 season begins in Slovenia. The first two, Krvavec and Vogel, opened their doors on Friday, while Kranjska Gora, Rogla and Pohorje will follow suit the following day.

Major Slovenian ski resorts which will launch the season over the weekend offer discount prices because not all their slopes are ready yet.

While most resorts currently offer artificial snow, Vogel boasts half a metre of natural snow already. The ski centre also upgraded its snow park.

Regular prices for a day of skiing will stand somewhere between EUR 25 and EUR 30 over the season, with Kanin being the dearest at EUR 35.
However, Kanin ski pass is valid also on the slopes of Italian Sella Nevea connected to the Slovenian resort.

The ski centre near the NW town of Bovec will open later this year, as it is still undergoing maintenance, but Aleš Uršič, the acting director of Kanin ATC, believes that it will open before the Christmas holiday season.

Touching on few upgrades this season, president of the Association of Ski-Lift Operators Srečko Jesenšek told the STA that Slovenian ski resorts would have to continue working without major investments if the current economic situation persists.

Ski centres can hardly make major investments without the help of municipalities or the state as banks are not willing to grant long-term loans, he stressed.

Ski centres also face problems with a decreasing number of skiers, as the number fell 7% to some one million visitors last season, compared to the season before.

It is however true that the fall was also caused by the snowless winter, as operators only managed to put together 1,800 operating days, down by one fifth compared to the 2010-2011 season.

Source:Government Communication Office of Republic of Slovenia