Ski resorts operators praying for snow

The lack of natural snow on the ski slopes and the high temperatures that render even snow guns ineffective risk compromising the business of the mountain resorts. If no snow falls until January, as the weather forecasts say, the hotels, the companies renting ski equipment and the cable transport operators will see their revenues halved this season or even worse. The hotel operators say the lack of snow is already hurting the take-up in the first two weeks of December and right after New Year’s Eve. Occupancy rate is 100% throughout December 20 -31, no matter if it is snowing or not. “Two years ago, when we did not have any snow, the take-up was 35% only to reach 60% last year when we had a very good season,” says Catalin Voicu, the manager of the Anda Hotel in Sinaia, which is 50 metres away from the cable car station. The four-star Anda’s take-up is now 50%. The three-star Premier Hotel in Predeal registered 12% occupancy rate early this month. ZF