Early snowfall leads to high tourist occupancy rates for the Immaculate Conception long weekend

BarcelonaWith many schools celebrating their holidays, this Friday marks the start of one of the long weekends circled in red on the calendars of all Catalan ski resorts. The recent snowfall and low temperatures will encourage skiers to flock to the Immaculate Conception holiday, especially after the Immaculate Conception. Those who remember that a year ago the slopes could not open due to lack of snowWith all the resorts open, the sector is preparing to regain momentum and kick off what is expected to be a long winter season with good forecasts. This is the feeling at the Masella resort, the first to open its slopes in the entire country, on November 26th, with almost all of its 36 kilometers already operational. With the exception of last year, this resort has started the winter season in November in 80% of years, thanks in large part to the investments made in snowmaking. "We've had plenty of time to prepare," explains spokesperson Ramon Boter. Families who can will start arriving this Friday, but for many, Saturday and Sunday will be the peak days, with the return trip expected on Monday.

With reservations made well in advance, the ski-in/ski-out hotel, Alp Hotel Masella, has almost all its rooms sold for this long weekend, with an occupancy rate of 90%. This forecast is shared by the Association of Hotels and Tourist Accommodations of Cerdanya, which even anticipates reaching 95%. "We've seen an increase in interest from visitors in recent weeks," says the association's president, Núria Vidal. A majority of guests have opted to book two nights, either Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday. This trend is also being observed by ski resorts in the sale of lift passes—priced at €54 per day or a four-day pass for €162—as well as in booking lessons and equipment rentals. "It will be a good long weekend because we have snow and the weather will be good, which means just cold and calm winds. All of this will encourage people to come," Boter points out.

A sentiment shared more widely in western Catalonia, where the Lleida Pyrenees are hoping to sell over 50,000 ski passes if the weather cooperates. Baqueira Beret kicked off the season on November 29th, with its best start since before the pandemic, while Boí Taüll, Espot, Port Ainé, and Port del Comte have opened in recent days. In the case of Port del Comte, in the Pre-Pyrenees, the snowfall is arriving later, as explained by its director, Albert Estella, and the forecasts are more modest: hotels in the area are at 50% occupancy, but they welcomed their first skiers this Friday. Finally, the Tavascan resort, which closed last season unsure if it would be able to reopen, will open this Saturday with Nordic skiing and snowshoeing trails, but without chairlifts. Pyrenean accommodations are expecting occupancy rates between 80% and 85%, according to data from the Lleida Provincial Council's Tourism Board. "We are pleased because the forecasts are good. It's a long weekend that always works well in this area," says its vice president, Juan Antonio Serrano, who recalls that skiing didn't start at this time of year for decades. The ski and mountain resorts operated by Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat (FGC) have opened the season with more than 60 kilometers of skiable terrain throughout the Catalan Pyrenees. La Molina opened last weekend, while the resorts of Vall de Núria, Vallter, Espot, Port Ainé, and Boí Taüll opened this Thursday. "People are eager for snow. We have a very good forecast for visitor numbers," says Enric Serra, Director of Business and Strategy at FGC Turisme. This year, a new annual ski pass, priced at €15, has been launched. The more you ski, the more you save, and you stop paying after the 17th day of skiing.

The Immaculate Conception long weekend will also be a skiing event in Andorra. Ordino Arcalís was the first resort to open, on November 27th, and this week Grandvalira and Pal Arinsal joined them, with over 150 kilometers of slopes open.

See you in spring!

The Immaculate Conception long weekend will kick off a season that could last until the beginning of May. This is the case for the Masella resort. "We open as soon as we can and stay open as long as we can," summarizes Boter.

In the case of the resorts in the Lleida Pyrenees, the closure usually occurs earlier, towards the end of March or, as Serrano says, "every Easter Monday, come what may." "With almost all the resorts open for now with good snow conditions, we anticipate that this will be a very good ski season," he emphasizes.