Has Skiing Got More Expensive Over Time?

01 / Basics

Cash price and real price answer different questions

A price can rise for two reasons: the product itself becomes dearer, or money simply buys less than it used to. That is why a long-term ski-price comparison needs an inflation adjustment.

For example, if a pass rises from 300 to 500 in its local currency, the cash increase is obvious. The next step is to ask what the old 300 would be worth today. If the new price is still higher after that adjustment, the increase has outpaced general inflation.

For the US-dollar pass examples below, the calculation uses the US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). For a pass priced in euros, Swiss francs, yen or another currency, the fairest comparison starts with the relevant local inflation measure.

02 / Global context

Skiing is global, so one country cannot tell the whole story

Laurent Vanat's 2026 International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism covers 68 countries with equipped outdoor ski areas. It reports 399 million skier visits worldwide in 2024/25, ahead of the previous record of 392 million in 2018/19.

That scale matters when discussing price. Lift passes in the United States, France, Austria, Switzerland, Japan or New Zealand are sold in different currencies and face different inflation, energy, labour and tourism conditions. There is no sensible way to take one national price rise and apply it to every ski market.

The best approach is to use clearly defined products with a long price history, then explain what changed alongside the price. The two examples below are useful because both now give access across multiple countries. Their different launch years mean their percentage changes should be read separately, not as a head-to-head price ranking.

03 / Price data

Two long-run pass examples: Epic and Ikon

The figures use the original launch prices and published spring 2026 prices for the 2026/27 season. The older prices are converted into September 2026 US dollars using the unadjusted CPI-U. Pass access and benefits have changed, so these are useful product examples rather than a complete measure of the cost of skiing.

How the adjustment works: original pass price × (336.940 ÷ its launch-month CPI). The US Bureau of Labor Statistics gives 336.940 for September 2026, 213.528 for March 2008 and 249.554 for March 2018. Rounded dollar and percentage values appear below.

Epic Pass: $579 in 2008/09 to $1,089 in spring 2026

Vail Resorts introduced the Epic Pass at $579 for adults in March 2008 for five named resorts; Arapahoe Basin was also included in the pass's first season. In May 2026, the company listed the adult 2026/27 Epic Pass at $1,089.

• Cash increase: about 88%.
• Inflation check: $579 in March 2008 is about $914 in September 2026 money using US CPI-U.
• Difference after inflation: the $1,089 spring price is about 19% above that inflation-adjusted figure.

The product is not the same as it was in 2008. It now reaches many more destinations and includes additional benefits, so the 19% figure is a price comparison, not a claim that skiers receive 19% less value.

Ikon Pass: $899 in 2018/19 to $1,349 in spring 2026

Alterra Mountain Company launched the adult Ikon Pass at $899 for 2018/19, with access to 26 North American destinations. In April 2026, the 2026/27 spring price was $1,349; the network had grown to 77 destinations across 13 countries and five continents.

• Cash increase: about 50%.
• Inflation check: $899 in March 2018 is about $1,214 in September 2026 money.
• Difference after inflation: the $1,349 spring price is about 11% above that inflation-adjusted figure.

Again, coverage changed dramatically, so the real-price increase is not a like-for-like measure of value.

Sales-window caution: These are historical spring 2026 offer prices, not today's checkout prices. Vail Resorts stated that Epic prices would increase after 25 May 2026, and Alterra said Ikon spring prices would increase after 16 April 2026. Comparing early-season prices with later-sale prices would distort the results.

04 / What it means

What the numbers actually say

Both examples point in the same direction: major multi-resort passes are more expensive than their launch prices even after allowing for US inflation. In the spring-price comparisons above, the real increase is roughly 19% for Epic and 11% for Ikon.

That does not produce a worldwide "skiing is X% more expensive" figure. The passes changed, their destination networks expanded and a ski holiday includes much more than lift access.

It does show why cash-price headlines can be misleading. An 88% rise sounds very different from a roughly 19% rise after inflation, and neither number tells you on its own whether the modern product offers better or worse value.

05 / Full trip

The price of a ski holiday depends on where and how you travel

Lift access is only one part of the bill. Accommodation, flights or driving, transfers, equipment hire, lessons, food and insurance can each follow a different price path.

A week in Japan cannot be measured with the same inflation series or exchange-rate assumptions as a week in France, Switzerland, Canada or the United States. Even within one country, school holidays, snow conditions, resort capacity and accommodation supply can change the price sharply.

For a global comparison, start with prices in the local currency and adjust them using the relevant local inflation measure. If you are travelling from another country, convert the result into your home currency afterwards. That keeps exchange-rate swings separate from the resort's own price change.

For the separate question of why ski trips cost so much today, see Why Is Skiing So Expensive?. This page is about how prices have moved over time.

06 / Method

How to compare ski prices fairly

A good long-term comparison keeps as many variables fixed as possible:

• Use the same resort or pass product. A local day pass and a global season pass are not comparable.
• Match the point in the sales cycle. Early-bird prices can be much lower than prices closer to winter.
• Match the travel dates. Peak holiday weeks can distort accommodation and transport costs.
• Compare in local currency first. Exchange rates can otherwise make a resort look dearer or cheaper even when its local price barely changed.
• Use the relevant inflation index. US-dollar prices need US inflation; euro, franc, yen and other prices need an appropriate local measure.
• Record what changed. More destinations, new lifts, added benefits or different restrictions can make an old and new product less like-for-like.

Once those points are controlled, the remaining difference is much more meaningful.

07 / FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Has skiing got more expensive over time?

Yes in cash terms. After inflation, the size of the increase depends on the product and country. In the two multi-resort pass examples here, spring prices are roughly 11% to 19% above their inflation-adjusted launch prices.

How much has the Epic Pass increased since 2008?

The adult pass rose from $579 for 2008/09 to $1,089 in spring 2026 for 2026/27, an 88% cash increase. After US inflation, the difference is about 19%.

How much has the Ikon Pass increased since 2018?

The adult pass rose from $899 for 2018/19 to $1,349 in spring 2026 for 2026/27, a 50% cash increase. After US inflation, the difference is about 11%.

Have all ski holidays risen at the same rate?

No. Those figures apply to two pass products. Accommodation, transport, hire, lessons and food vary by market, and both passes now cover many more destinations than when they launched.

Why compare prices in local currency first?

Because exchange rates can move independently of resort prices. Local-currency comparisons show what the resort actually changed; currency conversion shows what that change means for a traveller from another country.