Downhill skiing is a sport of ups and downs, with the occasional fall. For skiing facilities, the winter of 2024 was more down than up, as operating revenue fell 4.4% from the record highs of 2023.
Despite the year-over-year drop, operating revenue during the 2024 season was the second-highest total on record, at $1.4 billion. However, operating expenses were up 0.5% to a record high $1.3 billion, partly due to higher spending on wages (+2.2% to $540 million).
The bottom line, skiing facilities turned an operating profit margin of 11.0% in 2024, down from 15.3% a year earlier and roughly in line with the pre-pandemic levels of 2019.
Tough year for ski facilities in Central Canada
Canada’s primary skiing destinations in the winter of 2024 in terms of revenue were British Columbia ($562.1 million), Quebec ($394.6 million), Alberta ($282.0 million) and Ontario ($166.0 million).
Operating revenue fell at the fastest pace in Ontario (-7.7%) and Quebec (-7.5%) in the winter of 2024 against a backdrop of warmer than usual temperatures and less snow.
Out west, operating revenue in British Columbia, Canada’s premier skiing destination, fell 3.1%, while revenue was essentially unchanged in Alberta.
Spotlight on the Alberta Rockies
While there are plenty of ski hills and valleys in Alberta, the premier ski destination in the province is, of course, the Canadian Rockies tourism region.
Our detailed tourism data show that 1.4 million Canadians visited the Alberta Rockies during the height of the 2024 ski season (December 2023 to March 2024). A record high of 516,000 people visited in March alone.
People from around the world also flock to the region every winter, with international visitors spending $194.2 million in the Canadian Rockies during the first quarter of 2024.
Skiing and snowboarding close to home
Just over three in four Canadian households (77%) participated in outdoor activities close to home in 2023. Among those households, 5% skied, snowboarded or telemarked close to home.
Contact information
For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).