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The number of ski passes sold at Cardrona Alpine Resort will be limited this year to manage capacity on the mountain.
Complaints over queues for chairlifts and car parks have forced the operators of Cardrona Alpine Resort to cut the number of skiers and snowboarders allowed on the mountain.
Limiting the number of day passes available will see 1000 fewer users on the mountain near Queenstown on peak days during the upcoming winter than in 2022.
It is the first time a New Zealand ski area has restricted sales to limit the number of users on the mountains, but car parks are often closed when ski areas hit capacity.
Laura Hedley, general manager of experience at Cardrona and Treble Cone, said there had been a massive increase in the number of people on all mountains in recent years.
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Cardrona had been affected more than Treble Cone by the pressure, she said, being consistently busy during school holidays and for at least a month afterwards.
“The reality is we can’t deliver to the amount of people we had up there last year.
Cardrona and Treble Cone general manager Bridget Legnavsky is excited construction is beginning on a chairlift in the Soho ski area.
“We’ve definitely had a lot of feedback from our guests that they were standing in lift lines for too long.”
On busy days users would generally understand there was a wait, Hedley said.
“But once you get past that 25-minute mark you’re really starting to annoy people.”
There was also pressure on car parking and waiting times for food, drinks and toilets.
Troy Tanner/Stuff
Treble Cone Ski Area, near Wānaka, is an internationally popular ski resort.
The number of pre-season passes sold would be restricted, Hedley said, with no more on sale than were available during the 2022 season.
During the season the number and cost of single-day and multi-day passes would be limited according to demand.
Similar pricing models were used to manage numbers at mountains overseas, but this was a first for New Zealand, she said.
“The outcome we want to get is to make sure everyone who comes up has an amazing experience.”
She expected there would be some teething issues and there would still be busy bluebird days.
“We’re asking for feedback, patience and support from our mountain communities as we get this right this winter.”
The company will not be revisiting a plan to put a chairlift into the Pringles area, a plan which was rejected by the Department of Conservation in (DOC) in 2020 due to the impact it would have on a large lizard habitat in the area.
It is working on a long-term plan that includes getting more chairlifts and facilities into the neighbouring Soho Basin area.
“It’s a pretty exciting challenge to have,” Hedley said.
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