Crans-Montana Sees Increase in UK Skiers as it Targets British Market
28th October 2026
There has been a steady growth in UK skiers heading to the Swiss resort in recent years. With the Alpine Ski World Championships taking place next February and a host of new initiatives more British people are rediscovering its attractions. NEW
The resort has an historic connection with British skiers and is seen as one of the birthplaces of skiing in the Alps.
In 1904 Sir Henry Lunn turned the Beauregard sanatorium into the Palace-Bellevue luxury hotel.
Seven years later in 1911 his son Sir Arnold Lunn staged the Roberts of Kandahar Challenge Cup, which is regarded as the first major downhill race in alpine skiing history.
11 pioneers, mostly British, raced back to the resort after a 6-hour climb on foot.
The race was won by Cecil Hopkinson in 61 minutes and the trophy presented by British Field Marshal Lord Roberts of Kandahar.
In 1936 the first lift was installed and in 1950 the Crans-Cry d’Er cable car opened and was a decisive step in the development of the ski area.
Crans-Montana had rather fallen off the radar of British skiers a few years back as Zermatt and Verbier grabbed the lion’s share of attention and visits in Switzerland.
That is now changing with a 31% increase in British guests since 2020.
Details of next winter in Crans-Montana were unveiled this week in the library of L’Oscar hotel in Holborn in central London, a sister hotel of the 5* Crans Ambassador Hotel in the Swiss resort.
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“We love our British visitors and it is good to see them returning,” said the head of sales and marketing for Crans-Montana, Pierre-Henri Mainetti.
“We see a growing number if British skiers year after year with the upturn starting before Covid.
“There remains huge potential in the British market.”
Pierre-Henri Mainetti, Crans-Montana. Image © PlanetSKI
Crans-Montana in numbers:
- 140 kms of slopes
- 24 lifts
- 20 mountain restaurants
- 32 hotels
- 190 shops & boutiques
- 300 days of sunshine
- 18 peaks over 4,000m in view
Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Image © PlanetSKI
Next February the resort hosts the 2027 Alpine Ski World Championships.
It is second biggest event in alpine ski racing after the Winter Olympics and takes place over two weeks every two years.
Crans-Montana last hosted the event in 1987.
It takes place 1st – 14th February with 600 athletes from 80 nations competing for 11 titles om two slopes, Mont Lachaux and the Nationale.
2027 Alpine Ski World Championships, Crans-Montana. Image © PlanetSKI
- Downhill
- Super-G
- Giant Slalom
- Slalom
- Team combined
- Team Parallel
2027 Alpine Ski World Championships, Crans-Montana. Image © PlanetSKI
150,000 spectators are expected, with 500 hours of live coverage drawing in an estimated 134m viewers.
The Championships will extend beyond the slopes with the Ycoor Fan Zone with giant screens, entertainment , plus food and drinks.
Sport, music, culture and entertainment will come together to create a huge public festival.
Spectator demand has been strong, with more than 74,000 tickets sold already, around 65% of capacity, and the Men’s Downhill is already sold out.
“Our goal is to have 11 sold-out races,” said Crans-Montana 2027 COO, Daniel Bollinger.
“We want to offer the fans a comprehensive entertainment program so they really want to come and not just watch the races, but stay with us for as long as possible and enjoy their time in Switzerland,” added Bollinger, on a program that each evening will feature concerts in the Medal Plaza, leading into medal ceremonies at 18:30 CET.
See here for full details: 2027 Alpine Ski World Championships, Crans-Montana
“The Alpine Ski World Championships are very important for us as a resort as the eyes of the ski world will be focused on us for two weeks and they will encourage a new generation of skiers to be inspired,” said Pierre-Henri Mainetti.
“It would be fabulous if a British skier made the podium.
“Last winter the Carrick-Smith brothers competed in the Europa Cup in Crans-Montana and who knows what may happen next February after the success of Freddy in Soelden last weekend.”
The GB slalom skiers Billy Major & Laurie Taylor are hoping to qualify as is the female skier, Molly Butler, who is breaking through.
The resort itself is undergoing something of a transformation and the lift company was taken over by Vail Resorts in 2024.
It has seen a sharp increase in visitors from the USA as it is now on the Epic Pass.
It is one of the easiest resorts to get to in Switzerland with a fabulous train ride round Lake Geneva (Lac Leman).
It can also be accessed by Eurostar train from the UK via Paris and Lausanne.
If you are lucky enough to have the money Sion airport beneath the resort can be accessed by private jet and there is talk of commercial flights resuming.
The runway is long enough for the Airbus 319, one of the work-horses of the easyJet fleet, to use.
Crans-Montana was an early pioneer of ski touring and has the Ski Rando Park with 16 marked routes.
The Park offers 40kms of marked and secure trails for experts and beginners alike with more than 5,500m of vertical descent.
Ski touring routes. Image c/o Crans-Montana
Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Image © PlanetSKI
It has a wealth of other winter activities on offer from curling and snowshoeing, through to slopeside yoga and its lantern path.
Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Image © PlanetSKI
A dark shadow remains over the resort following the fire in the early hours of January 1st 2026 during New Year’s Eve celebrations at Le Constellation bar.
41 people, mainly youngsters, lost their lives.
Image c/o Crans-Montana.
The resort is not shying away from it.
“It was an absolute heartbreaking tragedy and will forever remain a scar on our resort,” said Pierre-Henry Mainetti.
“Many families are still struggling with bereavement or injuries, but life must go on and the young people in our resort want the Crans-Montana that they knew to be back again.”
PlanetSKI last visited Crans-Montana in December 2024.
PlanetSKI in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Image © PlanetSKI
We will be back this December to report on all the new developments and look ahead to the season.
Then we’ll be returning in late January on the eve of the Alpine Ski World Championships to preview the event, before we follow it all live.
Bring. It. On.
For full details of the resort see here: Crans-Montana.
Crans-Montana, Switzerland.. Image © PlanetSKI
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